Alab’s latest loss heightens clamor for Brownlee

San Miguel Alab Pilipinas coach Jimmy Alapag is in search for an antidote to his team’s inconsistent ways.

With an unforgiving schedule and teams raising its level midway into the Asean Basketball League Season 10, Alapag knows the margin for error for his team is getting smaller.

Alab got a quick reality check on how much work needs to be done to be a contender this season after Mono Vampire hammered out a convincing 102-89 win over the Filipino ball club last Sunday night at Caloocan Sports Complex.

Three nights after a 77-76 triumph over Hong Kong Eastern, Alab once again started out flat and needed to play catchup against a Mono team that eventually raised its league leading record to 9-3.

“That’s our challenge right now as a team, finding that level of consistency in our play,” said Alapag, whose team dropped to 6-4. “Trying to build off a good win like we had the other night against Hong Kong … we’re still searching for that.”

Alapag’s team has little time to recover as it travels to Bangkok for a duel with Mono again on Thursday.

One concern for Alapag in the game was the performance of reinforcement Nick King, who finished with just six points on 2-of-17 shooting. Alab’s import issues have raised the clamor for the return of Justin Brownlee, the Barangay Ginebra import, who also powered Alab to the ABL crown last 2018.

“Nick King is here, but obviously he needs to be better than he was tonight,” Alapag said. “The great thing about playing a bad game is being able to play again right away, and we have a game three nights from now, so he’s gotta be better on Thursday night.” INQ