Alab Pilipinas absorbs 2nd loss after Formosa game-winner

MANILA, Philippines – Newfound woes continue to haunt Alab Pilipinas after absorbing a second loss in 3 games, 73-72, this time against Taiwan’s Formosa Dreamers on the road on Sunday, January 13.

Hsueh Lin Lee knocked in a cold-blooded triple to stun the defending champion, just 3 seconds after Alab’s Ethan Alvano buried a go-ahead three-pointer with 5 ticks remaining, 72-70.

Alab still had one last bucket to throw up, but reserve guard Thomas Torres lost the rock as Formosa ran away with the win.

The heartbreaker put Alab – which also lost by just one point against the Westports Malaysia Dragons, 72-71, last Wednesday – to a share of 1st place with Macau with identical 6-2 slates.  

Tevin Glass led the Dreamers with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals. Lee, the game’s unlikely hero, chipped in 7 markers and 7 dimes.

The upset win propelled the Dreamers to solo 3rd at 8-4.

Star Alab import Renaldo Balkman paced his squad with 27 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks. New local addition Caelan Tiongson recorded a 15-point, 13-board line for his first double-double of the season.

It was already all downhill for Alab early in the 2nd quarter after their 7-foot-3 beast PJ Ramos got ejected due to excessive complaining.

The fuming Puerto Rican giant repeatedly tried to charge at the referees after what looked to be a missed call on Dreamers import Glass, which resulted in a bloody eye for Ramos.

With Ramos out of the game, Formosa feasted on the offensive end, going up as high as 15, 55-40, after a Kenneth Chien layup at the 2:29 mark of the 3rd quarter.

However, the champs came charging back in the 4th and eventually got ahead, 69-68, after a clutch layup by Renaldo Balkman with just 39 ticks left in regulation.

But as the game unfolded, it was not Alab’s night yet again. – Rappler.com