BalotSports.info

The Philippine Patriots seek to bounce back strong after suffering a crunching defeat in their last outing as they collide with the KL Dragons in Saturday’s 1st ASEAN Basketball League at the MABA Gym.

This will be the first of three must-win games for the Patriots in their drive to secure the top seeding in this six-team tournament and the coveted homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

The team dropped a 67-59 loss to the Slingers in a game where they bungled a 14-point lead in the first half.

“I hope lessons learned in our last game will be put to good use for today’s match," said Patriots coach Louie Alas.

The veteran mentor was referring to the fact that the team started with a tough defensive game only to shift to a shootout against the Slingers in the second half. The ploy backfired as the Patriots could not find the hoops to the delight of the Singaporean crowd.

“We must play defense not only for one quarter but for the whole game. I also hope our locals will be able to share the load with our imports to add dimension to our offense," Alas said.

The Patriots remain at the helm in the league with a 9-3 record but need to sweep their remaining three outings to avoid any complication in their race for the top seeding with the Slingers.

Right now, the Slingers have a 7-4 record entering their final four assignments and there still is a chance for them to tie the Patriots at the top spot with 11 wins.

That will happen if the Slingers win all their outings and the Patriots lose one of their final three games against the Dragons Saturday, the Thailand Tigers on January 17 at Nimibutr National Stadium in Thailand and the Brunei Barracudas on January 24 at Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.

Should this scenario materialize, the Slingers will assume the top seeding by virtue of their 2-1 head to head record against the Patriots.

The Patriots remain the favorite against the Dragons, having won their first two encounters, 73-63 and 76-70. Morevover, the Dragons are on a two-game slump including a 57-69 setback to Satria Muda BritAma last January 5 at home.

“We won our first two meetings but we can’t be complacent and take them for granted," said team manager Erick Arejola.

For one, the Dragons need this win to boost their own chances for a semis seat.

The Malaysian squad has a 4-7 win-loss record and is contesting the number four seat with the Barracudas (5-6).

Do-it-all import Jason Dixon is expected to shine anew for the Patriots but the team’s other reinforcement, Brandon Powell, must get his act going or else see himself being replaced after this game.

Averaging 18.5 points in the twin victories over Malaysia, Powell has become a non-factor in the team’s past three outings.

In the game against the Slingers, Powell contributed 10 points, but scored six of them in the first quarter. He also committed five of the team’s 17 turnovers in 26 minutes of action.

Aside from Powell, the locals must also step up with Warren Ybanez, Nonoy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuna needing to get involved in the scoring chores.

As for the Dragons, the team will again rely on the heroics of their imports Chris Daniel Kuete Lonichi and Jamaal Brown.

Lonichi is coming off a 26-point, 13-rebound, 3-steal performance in their last outing.

Team Standings(W-L)
RP Patriots 9-3
Satria Muda BritAma 7-5
Singapore Slingers 7-4
Brunei Barracudas 5-6
Thailand Tigers 3-10
KL Dragons 4-7

Game on Saturday
(MABA Stadium, Kuala Lumpur)
5 p.m. — KL Dragons vs RP Patriots

Source: Author Unknown  | gmanews.tv