MANILA, Philippines - Despite injury woes to two key players, coach Louie Alas of the Philippine Patriots remain confident of their chances against the Singapore Slingers when they clash on Saturday in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) at The Arena in San Juan.“They neutralized the Indons (Satria Muda BritAma) with their full court press last Sunday, so we plan to use that same strategy against them. That’s the only way we can beat them,” said Alas. “We have to be patient on the defensive end.”
But Nonoy Baclao and guard Christian Coronel remain doubtful starters for the Patriots with hamstring injuries.
“Nonoy wants to play on Saturday but we’ll have to assess his condition tomorrow,” said Alas.
Baclao, who helped Ateneo win back-to-back UAAP championships, had seven points, five rebounds and five shot blocks in the their 74-61 win over the Thailand Tigers last Oct. 24.
Like the Slingers, the Patriots, according to Alas, also boast of role players capable of employing the full court press although stamina will play a big factor in the match expected to go down-to-the-wire.
“I expect a different game for the Patriots this time, different from the first time they played in Singapore last month,” said co-team owner Mikee Romero. “It’s going to be an exciting game.”
With Filipino import Al Vergara and American Michael LeBlanc on the firing end, the Slingers beat the Patriots, 74-69.
They went on to sweep their first four games, including their fourth straight win by thumping the Indons, 96-72, to remain the only unbeaten team in the six-nation tournament using a home-and-away format.
source: The Philippine Star
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