The ABL Finals shifts to Thailand for Game 3, as Mono Vampire Basketball Club hosts San Miguel Alab Pilipinas inside Stadium 29, beginning 3:30PM local time.
Mono Vampire took Game 2 via a gutsy 103-100 victory on the road, leaning on the dominating performance of Sam Deguara and the game-long brilliance of Jason Brickman and Mike Singletary. They hung tough, learning from their mistakes in Game 1 to avoid disaster and an 0-2 hole.
Leading the way for Mono Vampire was their World Import Sam Deguara, who top scored with 30 points and added 20 rebounds. The gameplan for San Miguel Alab Pilipinas all Finals long has been to keep Deguara out of the game by attacking him and trying to force him into fouls. But the big man kept his poise and delivered down the stretch. Deguara is a game changer, and he has definitely made his presence felt in Games 1 and 2.
His teammate Jason Brickman also had a stellar game, as he continues to add to his sterling legacy under the bright lights. He delivered another double-double performance in Game 2 with 15 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. He was big time, hitting monster shots while continuing to facilitate for his team. Brickman has been hounded all series long by Parks, yet his greatness has still been on full display in the Finals.
San Miguel Alab Pilipinas will have to win one game to regain homecourt advantage if the series goes all the way after dropping Game 2. More importantly, they now wait with bated breath about the status of World Import Justin Brownlee, who was absent for majority of the fourth quarter due to a hamstring injury suffered in the third quarter. Brownlee looked visibly uncomfortable returning into the game in the 4th quarter, and just couldn’t make the clutch basket to tie the game in the end. Brownlee looks good to go for Game 3, but will he be able to have the same effect on the game is still to be determined.
If Brownlee isn’t 100%, San Miguel Alab Pilipinas will have to lean on the duo of Renaldo Balkman and newly crowned Local MVP Ray Parks. This season’s co-recipient of Defensive Player of the Year paced Alab with 37 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks, while Parks did his best to cover for Brownlee with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.
The series has become a best of 3, and now Mono Vampire has home court advantage. Will Mono Vampire move within one win of a title with a Game 3 win, or will San Miguel Alab Pilipinas send the series back home?
