ABL crown kukunin ng SMB-Alab Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines — Target ngayon ng San Miguel-Alab Pilipinas na maging ikatlong Filipino team na naghari sa kanilang muling pag­harap sa Mono Vampire Thailand sa Game 4 ng  best-of-five championship series ng 2017-2018  ASEAN Basketball League sa teritoryo ng kalaban sa Stadium 29 sa Bangkok, Thailand.

Tangan ang 2-1 bentahe sa serye, asam ng tropa ni coach Jimmy Alapag na tapusin ang la­ban sa ganap na alas-4:30 (Manila time).

Muling nasungkit ng Filipino team ang kalamangan sa serye matapos ang kanilang 99-93 panalo sa Game 3 noong Sabado bilang resbak sa 100-103 pagka­talo sa Game 2 noong Mi­yer­kules sa Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Sports Com­plex sa Sta. Rosa, La­guna.

Nagwagi rin ang Alab Pilipinas sa Game 1 via overtime, 143-130, noong Linggo at kung ki­nakailangan ay ba­balik ang serye sa Sta. Rosa, Laguna para sa Game 5 sa Mayo 2.

Kahit may mild right hamstring strain  si import Justin Brownlee ay hindi ito naging hadlang para matulungan ang koponan ni Alapag at nagtala pa rin ang Ginebra resident import ng 27 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists at 1 block para sa 4-1 bentahe laban sa Mono Vampire sa ka­nilang head-to-head du­el sa season na ito.

“Justin was not a hun­dred percent. I’ve really ran out of explanations to describe what type of player, what type of person he is. He was really a gametime decision.  Honestly, my plan was not to play him. But he came up to me and said that he was ready to go. And 37 and a half minutes later, he finishes with 27 (points), 12 (rebounds), and seven (assists),” sabi ni Alapag.

Bukod kay Brownlee, sasandal rin si Alapag kina import Renaldo Balkman, ang co-Most Defensive Player ng liga at Bobby Ray Parks Jr. , ang back-to-back local MVP ng home and away league.

“You talk about Balkman (Renaldo), you talk about Justin (Brownlee), you’re tal­king about two absolute winners both on and off the court,” dagdag pa ni Alapag.

Kung mananalo ang Alab Pilipinas ay sila ang magiging ikatlong Filipino team na nag-kampeon sa ABL matapos ang Philippine Patriots noong 2009 at 2010 at San Miguel Beermen noong 2013 sa panahon nina Asi Taulava at June Mar Fajardo.

“Mono Vampire  is a very, very good team on the other side, very, very well-coached.  And we knew were going into a hostile environment, and I just wanted to make sure we just stuck to the game plan,” ani Ala­pag.