Bobby Ray Parks, Jr.’s decision to miss the 2018 PBA Draft was justified.
Compared to their debut game last week, San Miguel Alab Pilipinas needed to dig deep against the CLS Knights. The Filipinos needed extra time to fend off the home team, 88-80, Sunday evening at the GOR Basket Kertajaya in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Last Sunday, Renaldo Balkman and PJ Ramos completely had their way against CLS, taking a dominant 94-67 victory in Binan.
This time around, Alab did not have a cakewalk.
The Philippine-based club team led by as much as 18 points in the first half, before CLS furiously rallied back.
With 37 ticks left, Alab was clinging to a two-point edge. But Wong Wei Long then scored on a tightly-contested layup to send the game into overtime.
But Balkman refused to allow an upset, outscoring CLS on his own, 8-5. Parks and Tiongson provided added buckets to fend off the Knights.
Balkman, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, tallied 36 points, 12 rebounds, and four steals in 43 minutes of action. Ramos added 25 points and 11 boards.
Parks, who was named as the second overall pick in the 2018 PBA Draft by the Blackwater Elite, chipped in 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Alab is now 2-0 in the standings.
Maxie Esho paced CLS with 30 points on 9-of-22 shooting to go along with 12 boards, while Montay Brandon complemented the imports’ production with 18 points and 12 boards.
Alab will host the Formosa Dreamers on Friday, December 21. The game will be held in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
The Scores:
San Miguel Alab 88 – Balkman 36, Ramos 25, Parks 10, Alvano 7, Tiongson 5, Urzbiztondo 3, Javelona 2, Domingo 0, Rosser 0, Torres 0.
CLS 80 – Esho 30, Brandon 18, Wong 10, Kurniawan 10, Jawato 6, Hurt 6, Hidayat 0, Nugroho 0, Utomo 0.
Quarterscores: 19-11, 42-29, 57-55, 75-75, 88-80.
