ABL suspends Patriot Larong

THE ASEAN Basketball League slapped yesterday a two-game suspension on AirAsia Philippines’ Ardy Larong  just a couple of days before the Patriots leave for a must-win road game against the Indonesia Warriors this weekend.

Larong, the rugged forward known for his tenacious defense, was penalized for his “attempted head-butt” on Indonesia’s Fil-Am import Stanley Pringle in Game 1 of their semifinal duel won by the Warriors, 73-64, last Sunday.

“This incident is also Larong’s third offense of the season, which has resulted in a stiffer penalty,” the league said in a statement yesterday.

The sanction added to the Patriots’ woes as the former champions try to forge a decider against the spirited Warriors in Game 2 of the best-of-three series this Sunday at the Mahaka Square in Jakarta.