After getting run out of the gym in their previous game, the Macau Black Bears aim for a win against the struggling Hong Kong Eastern Basketball Team in the University of Macau Sports Complex. They begin their battle 730PM local time.
Both teams are eager to atone for their mistakes, as Hong Kong is reeling from a defeat to the Saigon Heat as well. In one of the toughest home arenas, Hong Kong Eastern was unable to stop the the red hot Trevon Hughes and Kyle Barone en route to their sixth defeat of the season.
The Black Bears on the other hand were on the wrong end of history, as the CLS Knights rained fire from beyond the arc. Now looking to shake off the stench of that poor performance, they will attempt to reassert their dominance over Hong Kong Eastern.
It was quite simply a game to forget for the Black Bears, as they witnessed the CLS Knights knocking down an ABL record 22 three pointers to run Macau out of the gym, 105-78. The Black Bears aren’t really known for their defense, as they have the scorers to overwhelm any squad when they’re feeling it. But on this evening, they were run over by the Knight’s shooting. How will they respond in their next contest?
Despite being blown out in Surabaya, Mikh McKinney was stellar scoring the basketball for the Black Bears. The reigning Heritage MVP put together 29 points and 6 rebounds, though it wasn’t enough to make a dent in the CLS Knights’ red hot shooting.
Though Hong Kong hung around against the Heat in the CIS Arena, they were unable to stop Saigon’s Trevon Hughes and Chris Dierker from hitting the big shots to pull away for the 89-81 win. Key to the loss was the Heat’s scorching third quarter, when they fired 32 points to lead by 11 points, 81-70. Defense win champions, and that’s an issue Hong Kong must address.
Leading the charge for Hong Kong in the loss to Saigon Heat was Marcus Elliott, tallying a solid 28 points and 8 rebounds. Elliott was able to play to par, but it was the local support that was lacking, hence the loss.
Hong Kong aims to put their two game skid to a stop, while the Black Bears are looking to avoid back to back defeats of their own. How will this competition between two titans in the ABL unfold?
