SAN Miguel-Alab Pilipinas revs up its semifinals campaign in the ongoing eighth ASEAN Basketball League when it takes on the CLS Knights Indonesia this Wednesday at the Caloocan Sports Complex, and Sunday at the Sta. Rosa Multi-purpose Complex, live on ABS-CBN S+A and S+A HD at 8 p.m.
With just two games left to play in the elimination round, Alab hopes to finish strong and improve its 12-6 record and its fourth-place ranking.
Coach Jimmy Alapag’s team is behind third placer Thai team Mono Vampire by half a game but an outright semifinals appearance is still within reach.
Alab Pilipinas is coming off a record-setting win over the Saigon Heat of Vietnam, 126-100, to get back on track after a loss to Westports Malaysia Dragons Chong Son Kung Fu ended their record-setting eight-game winning streak.
The Heat weren’t able to withstand the fire from the Philippine contingent, as Alab Pilipinas fed on the energy from the crowd inside the USEP Gym in Davao City to rout the Vietnamese side. Balkman led all scorers with 30 points and seven rebounds while Brownlee pumped in 23 markers and 13 rebounds of his own. Locals like reigning ABL MVP Bobby Ray Parks, Pamboy Raymundo, and Pao Javellona also chipped in 13, 13, and 11 respectively.
The 126 points scored in regulation by San Miguel-Alab Pilipinas broke the season-high, and ABL record, of 121 points scored by the Saigon Heat, the same team they beat. The 18 triples Alab rifled in the game also tied them with Saigon for most three pointers made in a single game in the ABL record books.
The CLS Knights Indonesia, on the other hand, hopes to finish respectably despite bowing out of the playoff contention with their 5-13 record. Alab Pilipinas has beaten the Indonesian team twice in the season already, the first being a close 92-87 victory and the second, an 80-73 affair.
