Chong Son Kung Fu stayed undefeated at home, winning it’s second straight game, 94-85 over the ABL defending champions Hong Kong Eastern Basketball Team.
Buoyed by a stellar shooting performance from Heritage Import Mikh McKinney, Chong Son was able to exact revenge for their 88-76 loss to Hong Kong at the Southorn Stadium. McKinney was excellent, tallying a game high 30 points highlighted by shooting 4/6 from the three point line. He also chipped in with 7 rebounds and 6 assists.
Chong Son World Import Justin Howard also made an impact, as he played the entire game en route to 22 points, 20 rebounds and 4 blocks. He refused to be outplayed once again by Ryan Moss, as he stayed active on both ends of the floor and also hit some clutch baskets down the stretch to discourage any comeback attempts by Hong Kong.
Eastern was led by Marcus Elliott who tallied a team high 24 points, although 23 of those came in the first half. Elliott committed a series of fouls in the third period that led to his disqualification with still 3:48 to go in the quarter. His absence would prove to be a huge blow, as Hong Kong was outscored in the final two quarters by Chong Son.
Elliott got little help from fellow reigning MVP Tyler Lamb, as the talented Thai-American was limited to only 8 points on 4/17 shooting. Lamb shot 0/8 from the three point line, though he did have 5 assists and 5 rebounds
Chong Son Kung Fu’s shooting was a big factor in the win, as they shot 40% fro the three point area on 10/25 triples. They also went to the free throw line more often, shooting 20/25 from the charity stripe. The usually prolific shooting Hong Kong Eastern struggled from the field, as they only made 7/30 from beyond the arc, good for 23%.
After starting the second half down 42-40, Chong Son detonated an 11-2 bomb, that would give them a 51-44 advantage that wouldn’t be relinquished for the rest of the game. Free throws from McKinney with 3:48 remaining in the period put Chong Son Kung Fu up by 10 points, 57-47.
Hong Kong fought valiantly in the fourth quarter, but without Elliott, they weren’t able to get the necessary baskets and stops to overcome the home team. A layup by Lamb with 3:02 to go got Hong Kong to within 6 points, 83-77. However that would be the closest they would get, as a McKinney basket and a booming Caelan Tiongson triple with 1:58 left in the game ensured the victory for the China-based squad.
Chong Son Kung Fu climbs to 11-5 with the win, their second straight. They rise to the 2nd seed, leapfrogging San Miguel Alab Pilipinas. Hong Kong suffers only their third loss of the season, as they remain on top of the ABL standings with a 12-3 slate.
