The Singapore Slingers get their second shot at the undefeated Hong Kong Eastern Basketball Team, as the finalists from last season head to Southorn Stadium for ASEAN Basketball League Action.
Game day is set for December 20 in Hong Kong.
In their first matchup, Hong Kong Eastern escaped with a 81-77 win in the OCBC Arena. Tyler Lamb put on a dominating shooting performance, as he tallied 30 points on 9/18 shooting. Not to be outdone, Slingers’ Xavier Alexander chipped in 22 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists in the loss.
Hong Kong is putting their undefeated record on the line, as they picked up their sixth win of the season vs the Formosa Dreamers. Hong Kong took advantage of a tired Formosa Dreamers, as they pulled away early en route to the easy 120-97 win
The defending champions continue to show the rest of the league how it’s done, as their efficient shooting and rugged defense has been tough for any of their opponents this season to figure out. After a sluggish start, they look to be firing on all cylinders, and are ready to finish the year with a win.
Lamb, The reigning ABL Heritage Import MVP continued to put up stellar numbers, dominating for 3 quarters before getting most of the 4th quarter off after routing the Formosa Dreamers. He eventually finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Lamb is having a stellar shooting season this far, with averages of 45.9% from the field, 48.8% from three point area, and 78.4% from the free throw line.
The Slingers on the other hand bounced back nicely after a coule of losses. They gathered themselves and grinded out a tough 8 point win against Indonesia, 79-71. The stadium of the Knights is one of the toughest places to play because of the humidity and the fabid fans. But give credit to the Slingers for finding their bearings and getting the win, as their defense woke up in the second half.
Xavier Alexander delivered for the Slingers anew, as they rallied from a double-digit deficit behind Alexander’s career night. The X-Man scored a career high 39 points, with 15 of them coming in the fourth quarter. He showcased his versatility on offense despite being more known for his defense. Alexander will have to spend time defending both Lamb and Elliott for Singapore to have a chance to defeat Hong Kong.
It is always a heated matchup between the Slingers and Eastern, who will face off for their 10th time in this game. It was also the Singapore-based squad that handed Hong Kong Eastern their first lost last season and they’ll be looking forward to do the pleasure again this season if possible.
Both teams are coming off of wins and are eager to finish the year with a win. Can the Slingers get revenge, or will Hong Kong continue their mastery over their Singapore rivals?
