Phl Patriots shoot for equalizer vs Slammers

MANILA, Philippines –  The AirAsia Philippine Patriots hope to lean on the proverbial homecourt advantage as they try to force a sudden death with the Chang Thailand Slammers in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Season 2 finals at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City tomorrow.

“We need just some minor adjustments in our game plan because we almost snatched the win the last time. It was very unfortunate that the boys self-destructed in the end,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas referring to their 66-58 loss to the Slammers in the opener of their best-of-three series in Bangkok last Sunday.

Alas noted that his boys lost their focus and patience in the fourth period, opting for three-point shots to bounce back instead of rotating the ball and waiting for the right time to attack.

“When the Slammers made a run in the fourth, they (Patriots) started to shoot from the outside thinking they can erase a seven-point lead with a three-point shot. That was very wrong,” said Alas. “That’s why we need to be focused from start to finish.”

Mikee Romero, who co-owns the team with Tony Boy Cojuangco, agreed with Alas’ assessment, saying: “We lost our toughness in the fourth and that made the difference.”

The Patriots and the Slammers clash for Game 2 tomorrow with the Filipinos hoping to send the series to a winner-take-all back in Bangkok next week.

“I believe that we still have a good chance of turning the tide to our favor. But we need the support of our ‘kababayans’ to boost the morale of our players,” said Romero.

The Patriots will pin again their hopes on import Gabe Freeman, who was held scoreless in the fourth period before fouling out with still two minutes left in the contest in Game One.

Former Far Eastern U star Benedict Fernandez, Junjun Cabatu and veteran guard Egay Billones will be the other players to watch for the hosts along with the team’s other import Steve Thomas.