ABL – Third quarter flurry takes Slingers to level series

SINGAPORE (ASEAN Basketball League) - A 17-0 run in the third quarter helped Singapore Slingers break away and hold on to win 90-76 the second game of their best-of-three ABL semi-finals series against Chang Thailand Slammers on Tuesday.

The Slammers had won the first game of the series 81-76 in overtime.

The third and decisive game of the series is scheduled for Feb 6 in Bangkok.

Only marginally ahead (40-35) at the end of the first half, the Slingers unleashed an offensive flurry.

Al Vergara scored 13 of his 29 points during this run, including three sizzling long-rangers as the Slingers forged ahead a 62-45 lead.

In all, Vergara scored 21 points in the second half.

The Slammers were not to be undone by that run. They fought back vigorously and kept chipping away the massive deficit.

Ardy Long scored all his 13 points, and Jason Dixon seven of his 19 for the game in the fourth quarter to bring the Slammers close to 76-83 with a 01:09 left in the game.

The Slingers, who had kept pace with their rivals, opened out another mini run to end the game without further trouble.

Leonidez Avenido, who scored 12 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter, combined with Vergara and the two helped their team to a 7-0 finish that saw the Slingers level the series.

Kyle Jeffers and Marcus Skinner contributed 13 points each for the Singapore team – the former also pulling down a game-high 20 rebounds and having 4 assists and 5 steals.

Dixon was also the leading Slammers rebounder with 14 collections. The other American Chris Kuete had a dozen points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and as many steals.

FIBA Asia