Gabe upbeat as Patriots eye final

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots hope to overcome the odds as they collide with the Kuala Lumpur Dragons today, seeking no less than a return trip to the finals of the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League Season 2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Patriots, behind import Gabe Freeman’s fourth quarter explosion, outlasted the Dragons, 88-83, in the opener of the best-of-three semis duel at the Philsports Arena last Sunday. But the defending champions face a fired-up KL side and a hostile crowd in their 7 p.m. encounter to be telecast live on ESPN.

Freeman came away with 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and barely completed a triple-double performance with seven assists in powering the Patriots to Game One win.

“I always play hard but I’m willing to sacrifice if only I can help my team. We really have to play with a sense of togetherness if we want to go home victorious,” said Freeman.

The former two-time PBA best import, who also keyed the team’s title romp over Indonesia in the league’s inaugural staging last year, said he likes the team’s chances against the host squad.

“The team has yet to play its best basketball and if we play together as a team...as one big unit, we have pretty good chance of beating them for second straight game,” said Freeman. “The challenge is there and that is to play with a sense of togetherness.”

Another win will give the Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre CEO Mikee Romero and business tycoon Tony Boy Cojuangco, another crack at the crown.

Patriots coach Louie Alas said they should treat their game as a do-or-die since giving them another chance might change the outcome of the series.

“They have to make their shots from the outside to help Freeman and Thomas,” said Alas, hoping to get solid games from Egay Billones, Benedict Fernandez, Chito Jaime, Warren Ybanez and Allan Salangsang.

Meantime, the Chang Thailand Slammers also gained a 1-0 lead in their own semis series with the Singapore Slingers by hacking out a 81-76 overtime victory in Bangkok.