Patriots parade Jordanian star vs Slingers today

SINGAPORE—This new import hopes to set things right again for the Philippine Patriots.

Rasheim Wright will try to provide the spark the Patriots need as they battle the Singapore Slingers today in their AirAsia Asean Basketball League clash at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Wright only had two of days of practice with the league-leading Patriots, who will try to bounce back from their first loss.

“The team looks very strong,” said Wright, an American who also plays for the Jordan national team as a naturalized player. “They showed a lot of hustle and I think we can do something.”

Wright played against the PBA-backed Philippine team in the 2007 Fiba Asia Championship in Tokushima, Japan.

Known for his nifty shooting and leaping ability, the 6-foot-3 veteran played for Jordan in the 2010 Fiba World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Patriots narrowly edged the Slingers, 62-59, behind the clutch shooting of Junjun Cabatu in their first meeting last month at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

“I hope to provide some leadership, discipline, defense and championship experience,” said Wright, who replaced Anthony Johnson.

The Patriots played minus the injury-plagued Johnson last Saturday when the Brunei Barracudas stunned the defending champions with a 71-56 rout.

Coach Louie Alas expects the Patriots to recover from the disastrous outing where the Patriots shot only two points in the first quarter, the fewest scored by a team in a single quarter in two seasons of the six-nation tournament.