Game Today (Malaysia)
2:30 p.m. – Malaysia vs Alab Pilipinas
Alab Pilipinas nearly lost an 11-point fourth quarter lead and survived the Singapore Slingers, 74-72, on Friday for its first back-to-back win in the ASEAN Basketball League at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna.
Ray Parks Jr’s three-point play off a Wong Wei Long foul with 3:35 remaining gave Alab a 74-63 lead but went scoreless the rest of the way as the Slingers scored nine straight points capped off by Xavier Alexander’s triple under a minute left to trim the lead to just two.
Singapore had a chance to force the game into overtime but Alexander missed a driving layup on the game’s final play, allowing Alab to finally score a win over the Slingers in three tries this season.
Parks topscored once again for Alab with 17 points but he got plenty of help from Fil-American Lawrence Domingo and point guard Jeric Fortuna.
Domingo came off the bench and posted 14 points and 12 rebounds while Fortuna added 12 points, including two three-pointers that gave the lead back to Alab after Singapore took a slim 60-59 edge midway in the fourth.
World imports Sampson Carter and James Hughes combined for just 14 points in their first home game but the latter was able to grab 15 rebounds for Alab.
Singapore dropped to second place at 7-2 after failing to beat Alab for the third straight time this season.
Alab will go for its third straight victory today when it battles the struggling defending champion Westports Malaysia Dragons at the House of Champions inside the Gem-In Mall in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.
Malaysia fell to 1-4 also on Friday after losing 87-70 to the new leader Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions on the road. (Jonas Terrado)
