Round 6: Alab Pilipinas defeat Fubon Braves

The fans could enjoy quite many interesting games in the last round. The round ended with defeat of the leader, favorites losing the games, games ending by tiny margin and even winless team recording their first victory. Here is the last round review presented by ESL.

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Taiwanese Fubon Braves (7-4) in Manila on Tuesday night. Visitors were defeated by third ranked Filipino Alab Pilipinas (5-2) 101-96. Alab Pilipinas made 20-of-23 free shots (87.0 percent) during the game. Alab Pilipinas outrebounded Fubon Braves 41-28 including 33 on the defensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. 24 personal fouls committed by Fubon Braves helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for Maltese center Samuel Deguara (225-91) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 14 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). American forward Nick King (201-95, college: MTSU) contributed with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. American guard OJ Mayo (193-87, college: USC) replied with 35 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 9 assists for Fubon Braves. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Defending Filipino champion moved-up to second place, which they share with Mono Vampire. Fubon Braves at the other side still keep top position with four games lost. Alab Pilipinas is looking forward to face bottom-ranked Singapore Slingers (#10) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Fubon Braves will have a break next round.
Important game to mention about took place in . Fifth ranked Taiwanese Formosa D. (5-5) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 7th ranked Chinese Zhuhai (3-6) 92-89 on Wednesday evening. American players dominated the game. Guard Jerran Young (198-91, college: Wright St.) had a triple-double by scoring 23 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Anthony Tucker chipped in 15 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists during the contest. The best for the losing side was power forward Steven Thomas (204-81, college: MTSU) with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Formosa D. have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place. Zhuhai at the other side keeps the seventh position with six games lost. Formosa D. will play against WM Dragons (#6) in Kuala Lumpur in the next round. Zhuhai will play at home against Hong Kong ELL and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked Thailand Mono Vampire (5-2) against fourth ranked Chinese Macau (4-5) on Tuesday night. Visiting Mono Vampire was defeated by Macau in a tough game in Macau 96-101. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Mono Vampire. Brandon Edwards notched a double-double by scoring 26 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks to lead the effort. Macau's coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Even a double-double of 33 points (!!!) and 14 rebounds by Michael Singletary did not help to save the game for Mono Vampire. Despite that victory Macau went down to fifth position due to points difference. Loser Mono Vampire keeps the second place with two games lost. They share the position with Alab Pilipinas. Macau will meet at home Saigon Heat (#8) in the next round. Mono Vampire will play against WM Dragons (#6) and hope to secure a win.
An interesting game for Taiwanese Fubon Braves (7-4) which played road game in Macau against 4th ranked Chinese Macau (4-5). First ranked Fubon Braves had an easy win 100-85. The best player for the winners was Charles Garcia who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Fubon Braves maintains first position with 7-4 record. Macau at the other side dropped to the fifth place with five games lost. Fubon Braves will have a break next round. Macau will play at home against Saigon Heat (#8) and hope to win that game.
Hong Kong Hong Kong ELL's fans can finally celebrate the first win of their team after three consecutive losses. The victory is especially important as they defeated much higher ranked Malaysian WM Dragons (3-2) 82-78 on Wednesday. American players dominated also this game. It was a good game for Brandon Costner who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 10 rebounds. Hong Kong ELL (1-3) left bottom position moving up to ninth place. Loser WM Dragons dropped to the sixth position with two games lost. Hong Kong ELL will face higher ranked Zhuhai (#7) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game.

In the last two games of round 6 Saigon H. beat Singapore S. on the road 79-73. Formosa D. won against Zhuhai on its own court 100-89.

Alab Pilipinas - Fubon Braves 101-96

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Taiwanese Fubon Braves (7-4) in Manila on Tuesday night. Visitors were defeated by third ranked Filipino Alab Pilipinas (5-2) 101-96. Alab Pilipinas made 20-of-23 free shots (87.0 percent) during the game. Alab Pilipinas outrebounded Fubon Braves 41-28 including 33 on the defensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. 24 personal fouls committed by Fubon Braves helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for Maltese center Samuel Deguara (225-91) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 14 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). American forward Nick King (201-95, college: MTSU) contributed with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Four Alab Pilipinas players scored in double figures. American guard OJ Mayo (193-87, college: USC) replied with 35 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 9 assists and Costa Rican-Belizean forward Charles Garcia (208-88, college: Seattle) added 27 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Fubon Braves. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Defending Filipino champion moved-up to second place, which they share with Mono Vampire. Fubon Braves at the other side still keep top position with four games lost. Alab Pilipinas is looking forward to face bottom-ranked Singapore Slingers (#10) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Fubon Braves will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Alab Pilipinas: S.Deguara 26+14reb, N.King 22+6reb+5ast, K.Wyatt 21+4reb+4ast, J.Gray 17+5reb+6ast, J.Caracut 5+2ast, J.Brickman 5+3reb+8ast
Fubon Braves: O.Mayo 35+6reb+9ast, C.Garcia 27+6reb+2ast, M.Esho 13+6reb+1ast, J.Lin 8+5reb+5ast, K.Lin 8+2reb+1ast, C.Hung 3+3ast

Macau - Mono Vampire 101-96

Very important is a road loss of second ranked Thailand Mono Vampire (5-2) against fourth ranked Chinese Macau (4-5) on Tuesday night. Visiting Mono Vampire was defeated by Macau in a tough game in Macau 96-101. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Mono Vampire. Macau made 17-of-21 free shots (81.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Macau made 7 blocks. American forward Brandon Edwards (198-91, college: UT Arlington) notched a double-double by scoring 26 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks to lead the effort and American-Filipino guard Mikh McKinney (184-92, college: Sacramento St.) supported him with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Five Macau players scored in double figures. Macau's coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Even a double-double of 33 points (!!!) and 14 rebounds by American forward Michael Singletary (198-88, college: Texas Tech) did not help to save the game for Mono Vampire. His fellow American import guard Preston Knowles (187-89, college: Louisville) added 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Despite that victory Macau went down to fifth position due to points difference. Loser Mono Vampire keeps the second place with two games lost. They share the position with Alab Pilipinas. Macau will meet at home Saigon Heat (#8) in the next round. Mono Vampire will play against WM Dragons (#6) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Macau: B.Edwards 26+13reb+1ast, K.Manigault 24+8reb+4ast, M.McKinney 24+5reb+8ast, Z.Liu 15+2reb+2ast, J.Leung 12+6reb+5ast, L.Yunlei 0+2reb
Mono Vampire: M.Singletary 33+14reb+2ast, T.Lamb 19+1reb+5ast, P.Knowles 18+6reb+6ast, M.Morgan 8+4reb+2ast, F.Jones-Goldstein 7+5reb+5ast, R.Watkins 6+9reb+2ast

Hong Kong ELL - WM Dragons 82-78

Hong Kong Hong Kong ELL's fans can finally celebrate the first win of their team after three consecutive losses. The victory is especially important as they defeated much higher ranked Malaysian WM Dragons (3-2) 82-78 on Wednesday. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Hong Kong ELL made 8 blocks. American players dominated also this game. It was a good game for forward Brandon Costner (206-87, college: NC State) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 10 rebounds. Guard Brandis Raley-Ross (191-87, college: S.Carolina) contributed with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 13 assists for the winners. Power forward Will Artino (211-92, college: Creighton) replied with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 10 rebounds and guard Amir Bell (193-96, college: Princeton) added 9 points, 9 rebounds and 15 assists in the effort for WM Dragons. Hong Kong ELL (1-3) left bottom position moving up to ninth place. Loser WM Dragons dropped to the sixth position with two games lost. Hong Kong ELL will face higher ranked Zhuhai (#7) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game.
Top scorers:
Hong Kong ELL: B.Costner 35+10reb+2ast, B.Raley-Ross 17+4reb+13ast, S.Guinchard 9+4reb+1ast, M.Holyfield 9+13reb, J.Siu 5+2reb+2ast, S.Wing Chan 3+6reb+1ast
WM Dragons: W.Artino 26+10reb+2ast, C.Davis 19+4reb+2ast, T.Hou Hong 10+3reb+2ast, A.Bell 9+9reb+15ast, T.Yuan Kuek 7+9reb+1ast, C.Wah Chin 5+2reb

Singapore S. - Saigon H. 73-79

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams when ninth ranked Vietnamese Saigon Heat (1-2) beat on the road bottom-ranked Singapore Singapore Slingers (1-4) 79-73 on Wednesday. Saigon Heat looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a good game for American power forward Christien Charles (216-81, college: Villanova) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 25 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. The other American import forward Sam Thompson (201-92, college: Ohio St., agency: Pensack Sports) contributed with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. American guard Marcus Elliott (191-84, college: Louisiana Tech) replied with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 16 rebounds and center Kok Chiang Goh (199-95) added 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in the effort for Singapore Slingers. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Saigon Heat left bottom position moving up to eighth place. Loser Singapore Slingers dropped to the bottom position with four games lost. Saigon Heat will face higher ranked Macau (#5) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Singapore Slingers will play against Alab Pilipinas (#3) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Saigon H.: C.Charles 25+13reb+4ast, S.Thompson 22+7reb+6ast, G.Forbes 11+8reb+1ast, C.Dierker 10+6reb+2ast, J.Young 6+3reb+2ast, T.Duong 5+4reb+5ast
Singapore S.: M.Elliott 20+16reb+2ast, W.Meng Kwek 15+3reb+2ast, K.Chiang Goh 14+9reb+5ast, A.McClain 11+13reb+1ast, X.Alexander 9+9reb+4ast, K.Lim 2+2reb

Zhuhai - Formosa D. 89-92

Important game to mention about took place in . Fifth ranked Taiwanese Formosa D. (5-5) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 7th ranked Chinese Zhuhai (3-6) 92-89 on Wednesday evening. They outrebounded Zhuhai 45-33 including 32 on the defensive glass. Formosa D. players were unselfish on offense dishing 31 assists. American players dominated the game. Guard Jerran Young (198-91, college: Wright St.) had a triple-double by scoring 23 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the charge for the winners and guard Anthony Tucker (193-89, college: MSU Moorhead) chipped in 15 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists during the contest. The best for the losing side was power forward Steven Thomas (204-81, college: MTSU) with 19 points and 9 rebounds and forward Julian Boyd (201-90, college: LIU Brooklyn) scored 8 points and 14 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Formosa D. have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place. Zhuhai at the other side keeps the seventh position with six games lost. Formosa D. will play against WM Dragons (#6) in Kuala Lumpur in the next round. Zhuhai will play at home against Hong Kong ELL and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Formosa D.: J.Young 23+22reb+10ast, T.Chang 21+2reb+5ast, A.Tucker 15+7reb+11ast, L.Tien 11, J.Tolbert 10+9reb+1ast, K.Chien 9+2reb+4ast
Zhuhai: S.Thomas 19+9reb+1ast, K.Tang-Zhi 17+3reb+3ast, S.Ewing 16+8ast, C.Cai 14+2reb+3ast, Y.HU 9+5reb+2ast, J.Boyd 8+14reb+3ast

Macau - Fubon Braves 85-100

An interesting game for Taiwanese Fubon Braves (7-4) which played road game in Macau against 4th ranked Chinese Macau (4-5). First ranked Fubon Braves had an easy win 100-85. Fubon Braves dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Macau's 36. The best player for the winners was Costa Rican-Belizean forward Charles Garcia (208-88, college: Seattle) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds. American guard OJ Mayo (193-87, college: USC) chipped in 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Four Fubon Braves players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American swingman Kenny Manigault (196-91, college: Pikeville) who recorded 29 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists and American-Filipino guard Mikh McKinney (184-92, college: Sacramento St.) added 24 points and 4 assists respectively. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Fubon Braves maintains first position with 7-4 record. Macau at the other side dropped to the fifth place with five games lost. Fubon Braves will have a break next round. Macau will play at home against Saigon Heat (#8) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Fubon Braves: M.Esho 21+6reb+2ast, C.Garcia 21+11reb+3ast, O.Mayo 20+6reb+6ast, J.Lin 18+9reb+5ast, P.Chang 7+1reb, K.Lin 5+1ast
Macau: K.Manigault 29+7reb+9ast, M.McKinney 24+1reb+4ast, B.Edwards 17+8reb+1ast, J.Leung 8+5reb+3ast, C.Pong 3, L.Yunlei 3+4reb+1ast

Formosa D. - Zhuhai 100-89

Rather expected game when 7th ranked Chinese Zhuhai (3-6) lost to fifth ranked Taiwanese Formosa D. (5-5) in Changhua City 89-100 on Friday. Formosa D. made 16-of-18 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. Americans were the main players on the court. It was a good game for guard Anthony Tucker (193-89, college: MSU Moorhead) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 31 points, 6 rebounds and 13 assists. Guard Jerran Young (198-91, college: Wright St.) contributed with 24 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Formosa D.'s coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Forward Julian Boyd (201-90, college: LIU Brooklyn) replied with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 15 rebounds and power forward Steven Thomas (204-81, college: MTSU) added 11 points and 15 rebounds in the effort for Zhuhai. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Formosa D. have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place. Loser Zhuhai keeps the seventh position with six games lost. Formosa D. will face WM Dragons (#6) in Kuala Lumpur in the next round. Zhuhai will play at home against Hong Kong ELL and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Formosa D.: A.Tucker 31+6reb+13ast, J.Young 24+6reb+2ast, C.Yang 14+5reb+5ast, T.Chang 11+2reb+4ast, J.Tolbert 8+7reb, K.Chien 6+4reb+1ast
Zhuhai: J.Boyd 26+15reb+3ast, S.Ewing 15+3reb+7ast, C.Cai 12+3reb+3ast, S.Thomas 11+15reb+1ast, X.Zhong 9+1reb, M.Bell 8+7reb+2ast



Tags : SAMUEL DEGUARA, ALAB PILIPINAS, ASEAN LEAGUE BASKETBALL