RP Patriots grab ABL lead, down Thai Slammers

BANGKOK—The Philippine Patriots finished strong in downing the Chang Thailand Slammers, 54-48, to grab the solo lead in the AirAsia Asean Basketball League Saturday night at the Nimibutr National Stadium in Bangkok. 

Anthony Johnson drained a key triple that pushed the Patriots ahead, 45-43, with 3:36 minutes left before teaming up with veteran guard Egay Billones to outscore the Slammers down the wire. 

“Our defense was working as planned but we just couldn’t convert our shots in the first three quarters,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas of the defending champions, who remained unbeaten in the six-nation tournament. 

“Good thing we strengthened our defense in the fourth quarter and our shots finally fell.” 

American import Donald Little also shone in the Patriots’ fourth straight triumph with 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and five blocks. 

Johnson, sidelined in the previous two games due to a hamstring injury, wound up with 13 markers, eight coming in the last three minutes. 

The Patriots trailed by as many as 10 points, 19-29, even with the Slammers playing minus league top scorer Chris Kuete, the Cameroonian import averaging 25.3 points, who sat it out with an injury. 

The Slammers—who only drew 11 points and seven rebounds from former Patriots import Jason Dixon—slipped to second at 3-1. 

The Patriots got their first taste of the lead on a Billones basket, 42-40, following a Warren Ybañez triple that tied the game at 40 with six minutes left. 

In Jakarta, returning Filipino coach Bong Ramos steered the Brunei Barracudas to their first triumph in four games, 87-70, against Indonesia Satria Muda BritAma Saturday night at the BritAma Arena. 

The Kuala Lumpur Dragons also barged into the win column with an 81-74 upset of the Singapore Slingers at the Maba Stadium in Malaysia. 

Chris Commons buried a season-high 36 points as Brunei snapped its winless run under Ramos, who rejoined the team only three days earlier. 

American mentor Ozell Wells, who replaced Ramos at the start of the season, slid as an assistant. 

Alex Hartman topscored for the Dragons with 27. Photo from hitechbasketballclub.com


The scores: 
PHILIPPINES 54—Little 14, Johnson 13, Billones 10, Ybañez 6, Salangsang 5, Cabatu 2, Jaime 2, Crisano 2, Sta Cruz 0, Fernandez 0, Llagas 0, Sta Maria 0. 

THAILAND 48—Pinitpatcharalert 13, Dixon 11, Piroon 5, Jantuma 5, Lertmalaiporn 5, Canlas 4, Baguion 3, Sillapapipat 2, Supachai 0. 

Quarters: 6-13, 24-29, 35-38, 54-48