Patriots, Slammers Battle for ABL Lead

Games Saturday (Nimibutr National Stadium, Bangkok)
8 p.m. — Thailand vs RP Patriots

MANILA, Philippines — With import Anthony Johnson expected to play sparingly, Philippine Patriots coach Louie Alas is counting on his local unit to carry the fight when they clash with the Chang Thailand Slammers this Saturday in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League at the Nimibutr National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Johnson will be returning after missing two games because of a hamstring injury, but Alas don’t expect him to be in sharp form.

“AJ will be back but he can’t play 100 percent. He’s not yet in his best form so we have to play as one big unit against the host squad,” Alas said. “In fact, his doctor advised him to play just at least 25 minutes.”

Gametime is 8 p.m. with the both teams gunning for their fourth straight win and the solo lead.

Co-owned by Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Cojuangco, the defending champion Patriots are expecting Junjun Cabatu, Benedict Fernandez, Egay Billones and Allan Salangsang to provide firepower in anticipation of Johnson’s cautious play.

Johnson, who played several times as import in the PBA, had just recovered from a hamstring injury he suffered during the team’s opening game against the Brunei Barracudas three weeks ago.

He scored 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in the team’s 71-62 win but he missed the RP Patriots’ next two games as a result of the injury.

Still, the RP Patriots managed to win both games, scoring a 62-59 victory over the fancied Singapore Slingers last October 9 then repeated over the Barracudas in overtime, 72-67, last Saturday.

Facing the Slammers, won’t be a walk in the park, though.

Thailand, which won just three games last season under the banner Tigers, has been playing splendidly behind the troika of imports Chris Kuete of Cameroon, Filipino Froilan Baguion, and American Jason Dixon, the Patriots’ import last year.

It will be the first time that Dixon, the reigning league Best Import, will face his former team since coming out with 16 double-double performances in the last 17 games on their way to the championship last year.

Source:www.mb.com.ph By JONAS TERRADO