After recent loss, work cut out even more for Alab PH
Tanduay Alab Pilipinas enters the latter part of a grueling six-game January schedule with plenty of things left to be desired after being given a reality check by the vengeful Singapore Slingers in Wednesday night’s 90-80 home loss in the ASEAN Basketball League at the filoil flying V Center in San Juan.
Alab was in the thick of things for three quarters but allowed the Slingers to pull away behind ex-PBA guard AJ Mandani, who torched the home side for 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter.
Coach Jimmy Alapag was left ruing his team’s lackluster play, a far cry from its hard-fought 89-80 overtime victory over the Slingers Sunday in Singapore that saw imports Justin Brownlee and Renaldo Balkman take charge in the crucial stretch.
“We weren’t as sharp as we’ve been in the last three games,” said Alapag, whose team dropped to sixth place with a 3-4 record while clearing the path for Singapore to climb into fifth at 4-5.
“They played like their loss we gave them the last time was fresh in their minds,” he added. “They made us pay when we turn the ball over, took a bad shot and they got off to a transition and end up making threes.”
Balkman’s 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks and 16 points apiece from Brownlee and reigning local Most Valuable Player Ray Parks Jr. were not enough as Alab left a huge crowd disappointed over the outcome.
The result seemed to be a lost opportunity for Alab to move up the ladder going into its next three games – the first two on the road.
Alab takes on Thailand’s Mono Vampire on Sunday in Bangkok, expecting a difficult task of containing 7-foot-5 Samuel Deguara, Fil-American guard Jason Brickman and Thai national team member Chitchai Ananti.
A week later, Surabaya, Indonesia against the CLS Knights, who despite a 1-5 record boasts a solid lineup led by local veteran Mario Wuysang and supported by a boisterous crowd.
The Filipinos end the month against unbeaten Chinese club Chong Son Kung Fu on Jan. 31 in Sta. Rosa, Laguna in a game that could test whether Alab is a team ready to compete for the ABL crown.
“We’ll get better and be ready for Mono on Sunday,” said Alapag.
— JONAS TERRADO