Patriots imports slay KL Dragons

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The Philippine Patriots went to imports Jason Dixon and Brandon Powell in the final period to hack out a 73-63 come-from-behind win over the Kuala Lumpur Dragons in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Sunday at the MABA Stadium here.

Combining quickness, creativity and a little of guile, the 6-foot-10 Dixon came through with a double-double performance of 17 points and 16 rebounds as the Patriots surged to their third straight win and fourth overall in five starts in the home-and-away tournament.

It was the finest showing so far for the former PBA import, who vowed to help the Patriots win this inaugural six-nation tournament.

Powell, the 6-foot-5 guard who is known for his rugged defense, also had 17 points, including two triples that helped the Patriots outscore the Dragons, 25-9, in the fourth.

With the win, the Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre CEO Mikee Romero and businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco, firmed up their hold of second place behind the Singapore Slingers (5-1).

“It was a scary win, good thing we recovered our bearing in the fourth period,” said RP Patriots coach Louie Alas. “This is a wake-up call for the players. They can’t take anyone in the tournament lightly.”