By Jonas Terrado

Team Standings W L

Mono Vampire 9 4

Alab Pilipinas 8 4

Taipei Fubon 9 5

Formosa 8 6

Black Bears 7 7

Singapore 5 6

Kuala Lumpur 4 5

Wolf Warriors 5 8

Hong Kong 3 7

Saigon 2 8

Game Tuesday

(MABA Stadium, Kuala Lumpur)

8 p.m. — Kuala Lumpur vs Alab Pilipinas

Consistency remains an issue for coach Jimmy Alapag even as San Miguel Alab Pilipinas visits the Kuala Lumpur Dragons with a chance to win its third straight game in the ASEAN Basketball League at MABA Stadium in Malaysia.

Alab Pilipinas head coach Jimmy Alapag (MB photo | Rio Leonelle Deluvio)

Alab Pilipinas head coach Jimmy Alapag (MB photo / Rio Leonelle Deluvio)

Alab will bank on its two hard-fought overtime victories and keep within striking distance of the league-leading Mono Vampire in the 8 p.m. match against a Dragons side that has lost its last three outings.

Alapag said they “don’t make it easy on ourselves” after Alab survived Mono 100-92 last Thursday in Nonthaburi before needing another five-minute opening period Sunday night to edge the Singapore Slingers 86-77 in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“That’s really our challenge at this point of the season, is finding that consistency and how we play,” said Alapag, whose team improved to 8-4 despite coming off a rollercoaster January.

The Philippine side went 3-3 during the previous month, its other wins coming at the expense of the Taipei Fubon Braves and Hong Kong Eastern while losing to the Macau Wolf Warriors, Singapore and Mono.

Alapag lauded his team’s resolve in the last two games, something he hopes can be sustained as Alab enters the halfway mark of the ABL regular season.

“We’ve been really up and down the last few weeks,” he said after beating Singapore. “But coming off the game in Thailand and not really having much preparation for this Singapore game, I thought the guys’ energy and focus for the most part was really, really good.

“It’s just something that we have to sustain going forward,” added Alapag.

Alab led 52-41 at the half but saw Singapore climb back behind Leon Kwek and import Xavier Alexander to take the lead.

But Alab banked on Jason Brickman, imports Sam Deguara and Nick King, Lawrence Domingo and Jeremiah Gray to see off the Slingers.

Source: Manila Bulletin