Patriots down Slammers; Beermen win

MANILA, Philippines - Nakiea Miller and Al Vergara knocked down clutch baskets as AirAsia Phl Patriots trounced defending titlist Chang Thailand Slammers, 81-72, to take the first round pennant in the third AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League last night at the Thai Japanese Association Gym in Bangkok.

Miller (14 points, nine rebounds, six assists) and Vergara (12 points, eight assists) strung up five straight points one after the other in the last 3:43 as the Patriots quashed the final stand of the Slammers en route to a league-leading 6-1 win-loss card.

Anthony Johnson topscored with 21 markers, nine caroms and six feeds while Jonathan Fernandez added 12 in a 4-of-5 clip from rainbow country to essay a balanced attack for the Patriots, who overturned a 13-point deficit and seized control with a big 30-13 third quarter lead.

Patriots avenged their finals loss to the Slammers (3-4) last year and strengthened their grip of the lead, a full game ahead of second-running San Miguel Beermen (5-2).

SMB got off to a fast start and never let up to trip Indonesia Warriors, 77-61, over at the Mahaka Square in Jakarta.

The Beermen, who opened the game with a 7-0 lead and maintained double-digit spreads later, made 33 of their 66 shots, including a decent 7-of-21 clip from the three-point line, to overwhelm the Warriors, their third victims in succession.

Doug Thomas fired 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had three steals to lead the Beermen, getting substantial support from Leo Avenido’s 12 markers and three assists, Darlon Johnson’s eight points, six rebounds, and five assists and Froi Baguion’s eight points and five assists.

Larry Smith (18 points, 15 rebounds) and Steven Thomas (16 markers, 17 boards) paced Indonesia (3-4) but Mario Wuysang, the highest-scoring local with 16.5 points per game, was held down to 10 by the Beermen.  

After falling behind by as many as 13, the Warriors threatened to within 52-57 with an 11-3 blast to end the third. But the Beermen kicked off the fourth with a 15-5 assault highlighted by back-to-back treys from Allan Mangahas to restore order, 72-57, 3:51 to go.