Game Friday (The Arena, San Juan)
8 p.m. – Alab Pilipinas vs Macau
Defending champion San Miguel Alab Pilipinas ended its hectic schedule on a heartbreaking note yesterday after suffering a 73-72 loss to the Formosa Dreamers in the ASEAN Basketball League at the Changhua County Stadium in Taiwan.
Former Taiwanese national team member Hsuei-Lin Lee hit the game-winning three with one second left as the Dreamers avenged last month’s 86-72 loss in Sta. Rosa, Laguna to hand Alab its second defeat this season.
Alab took a 72-70 lead with six seconds left on Ethan Alvano’s left elbow three, but failed to stop Lee from draining the winning three in the endgame.
The Filipino cagers, who lost 7-foot-4 PJ Ramos to ejection early in the contest, dropped to 6-2 for a share of the lead with the Macau Black Bears.
Macau could gain solo lead if it beats the CLS Knights Indonesia in their game being played at presstime.
Alab split its stretch of four games in eight days, a grueling stretch that includes plenty of plane rides and lack of rest.
Coach Jimmy Alapag’s squad will finally have time to recharge its batteries before resuming the ABL campaign on Friday when it hosts Macau at The Arena in San Juan City.
Renaldo Balkman had 27 points and 16 rebounds for Alab while Alvano had 11 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for Alab in a losing effort.
Ray Parks Jr., coming off a season-high 24 in Friday’s 87-75 triumph over Hong Kong Eastern, was held to five points on 1-of-7 shooting. (Jonas Terrado)
