By JONAS TERRADO
Game Sunday
(Sta. Rosa, Laguna)
8 p.m. – Alab Pilipinas vs Hong Kong
Renaldo Balkman scored a playoff record 46 points despite being rained with loud boos by the rival crowd to lead San Miguel Alab Pilipinas to a thrilling 98-94 victory over defending champion Hong Kong Eastern in their best-of-three semifinal opener Wednesday that put them on the verge of advancing to the ASEAN Basketball League finals.
Balkman capped off his big night at the Southorn Stadium in Hong Kong by knocking down two free throws that broke a 94-all tie with 37 seconds as Alab bucked an up-and-down showing that saw coach Jimmy Alapag’s wards buck a sluggish start and squandering a 15-point third quarter lead to move towards a win shy of a berth in the best-of-five title showdown of the regional league.
“We just came out and played hard, “Balkman told the ABL’s official website. “Every possession we have to keep playing hard on defense, and we came together as a team. That’s what the playoffs are all about. I told them we were gonna put on a show when we come down here.”
Ray Parks Jr. scored 23 points while Justin Brownlee nearly had a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for Alab, which can go for a sweep on Sunday when it plays host to Hong Kong at the City of Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Thai-American Tyler Lamb scored 29 points but missed a three-point shot that would have put Hong Kong back in front after Balkman’s two charities. Marcus Elliott registered a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while top PBA draft pick Christian Standhardinger had 18 points and 15 rebounds but struggled all evening against Alab’s tight defending.
Balkman, who added 14 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in playing all 40 minutes, broke the old mark of 45 set last year by current Chong Son import Justin Howard while playing for the Singapore Slingers in Game 1 of the ABL finals against Hong Kong.
The former NBA player and one-time PBA import was mainly responsible for bringing Alab back from a 25-14 first quarter deficit by outscoring Hong Kong, 36-18, in the second quarter to take a 50-43 halftime lead.
Parks and Brownlee also had their share on both ends as Alab built its biggest lead at 75-60 on Balkman’s putback late in the third. But Elliott, Lamb and Standhardinger launched a fourth quarter rally that ended with Lee Ki nailing a three that tied the score at 94-all, 57 seconds remaining.
