JOHOR BAHRU (Malaysia) - It's all or nothing now for Scottie Lewis and the rest of Johor as they brace for arguably their biggest test to date - the Basketball Champions League Asia-East 2026 Final 6, that is.
Half of the competitors in the pan-regional competition's culminating event are newcomers and one of them are the Southern Tigers, thus the switch-up in their mentality as they would want nothing but to succeed.
"We’ve been preparing to play at a high level all season long. I wouldn’t call it pressure, but we are embodying the 'now or never' mindset," said the high-leaping wing, who's been one of this season's best performers.
Johor will have their work cut out for them in the Final 6 Group Phase, as they have been drawn in a tough Group A together with Mongolian powerhouse Chinggis Broncos and familiar foes Dewa United of Indonesia.
So aside from facing a team that's out to get back at them, the Malaysian crew will have to battle no less than the defending champions, who became the sixth and final team to advance by ousting New Taipei last Friday.
...being able to host the event makes it even more of an honor.
But what pushes the Southern Tigers harder, really, is the fact that the Final 6 will be played in their own lair.
As announced by FIBA shortly after the Broncos' 108-75 ouster of the Kings, Johor Bahru will be hosting the Final 6, marking the first time that a BCL Asia-East Final Phase will be held in the South East Asian region.
Lewis believes that the home fans played a key role in bringing the event to the city, having proven themselves worthy when the Arena Larkin Indoor Stadium hosted the second window of Group A games last April 15-17.
People came in droves to watch the Major Basketball League outfit live, with a crowd of nearly 5,000 in attendance to witness them take on Hi-Tech Basketball League in a game that went down the wire.
A solid crowd also showed up and buoyed Johor to a stunner of a win against Dewa United just the night before, which was actually the latter's first loss of the season after going unbeaten in their first three outings.
"Without our fans showing up and being there to support us, the Final 6 had a chance to be played elsewhere," said the 26-year-old, who fired a season-high 30 points in that 90-87 escape from their IBL counterparts.
"It’s an honor in itself to be able to compete at this level and in this league at all; being able to host the event makes it even more of an honor," the former NBA pro with the Charlotte Hornets furthered.
So, Lewis & Co. know that it's all on them to give their faithful what they deserve.
"The season is coming to an end. We are going to give everything we have each time we are on that court," said the Florida Gator, who's entering the Final 6 with averages of 23.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
"I can guarantee that," he closed.
FIBA