Chong Son Kung Fu Basketball Club moved up to second place in the team standings after dismantling San Miguel Alab Pilipinas, 92-79, on Sunday at the Nanhai Gymnasium.
The two powerhouse teams came in the ball game with identical 11-5 records but the home team was relentless on both ends of the floor to secure the victory.
Mikh McKinney was wax hot for Kung Fu, putting up 26 points, including 6 three-pointers. The duo of Justin Howard and Anthony Tucker meanwhile combined for 48 points. Howard was also a beast on the boards with 16 rebounds.
McKinney set the tone for Chong Son after he scoring 9 quick points in the opening quarter. By halftime, he already five triples, much to the delight of the home crowd.
It was a four-point game entering the third period but it was in the second half wherein Chong Son poured it on. They unleashed a brutal 20-4 run towards the end of the third canto capped off by a Howard jump shot, pushing Kung Fu’s lead to 72-52. Alab would never recover after that decisive rally.
Renaldo Balkman was the lone bright spot for Alab after he finished with 29 points and 8 rebounds. Justin Brownlee ended up with 18 points but he had to take 20 shots. Ray Parks similarly had a poor shooting game with him just tallying 19 points on 5-for-14 shooting.
As a team, the Philippines managed to finish with a respectable 45 percent shooting from the field. Unfortunately, they could not contain McKinney, Howard, and the rest of Kung Fu who would hit 53 percent, including 12-for-26 from downtown.
Chong Son continued their outstanding play at the Nanhai Gymnasium, being the only undefeated team with a 9-0 record at home. In their recent home stand, they defeated playoff bound teams Mono Vampire Basketball Club, defending champions Hong Kong Eastern Basketball Team, before crushing Alab Pilipinas on Sunday.
In the event that Alab Pilipinas and Chong Son Kung Fu still end up with identical records after the regular season, the latter will own the higher quotient after their dominant win.