San Miguel Alab Pilipinas is now one win away from the ABL championship, as they look to dispatch the Mono Vampire Basketball Club in Game 4 of the ABL Finals.
Gametime is set for 330PM local time at Stadium 29, Bangkok City.
It was another down the wire thriller in Game 3, as Alab Pilipinas relied on the clutch shooting of two-time Local MVP Ray Parks and a timely shot from Lawrence Domingo to claim the win, 99-93.
Ray Parks put on a show on the road against Mono Vampire, topscoring with 30 points on 6/12 from three point distance, to go along with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.. With his teammate Justin Brownlee not at 100%, Parks decided to be more assertive on offense, and was clutch down the stretch for his team. His biggest shot came in the clutch via a tough fadeaway over Paul Zamar to give his teammate some breathing space and eventually the win.
Justin Brownlee shook off a hamstring injury, delivering once again for his team. He caught fire from beyond the arc with 5 triples, and also did a great job playmaking and finding Ray Parks for some big shots en route to 27 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. It’s clear to see that Brownlee is willing to do whatever it takes to win the title for the Philippines.
Despite the loss, Mono Vampire has shown the ability to respond to adversity all season long. Though they’re not 100% with the injury to Darongpan Apiromvilaichai, they are still a deadly offensive team with strong local support in Teerawat Chanthachon.
In a battle for a rebound in the paint, Apiromvilaichai suffered a nasty ankle injury that kept him out of the remainder of the game. The talented scorer of Mono has been a consistent scorer for the team all season long, and his absence will definitely be felt if he can’t go in Game 4.
However Mono still has Sam Deguara, who has been the game changer for Mono Vampire. San Miguel Alab Pilipinas focused on slowing down Deguara, limiting his production from 30 points in Game 2, to 19 points in Game 3. Can Deguara dominate and force a Game 5?
Jason Brickman had himself another solid game with a double-double of 11 points and 12 assists. Mono Vampire might need him to be even more assertive in Game 4 though, especially if Apiromvilaichai can’t go. We all know what Playoff Brickman is capable of, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
Expect Game 4 to be another war in Stadium 29, Bangkok City, as Mono Vampires looks to force a Game 5, while San Miguel Alab Pilipinas looks to claim the ABL title on the road.