PHL Patriots hope ex-PBA import Thomas can end their slump

The Philippine Patriots are hoping that former Air21 import Steve Thomas can help end their three-game slump when they host the Westports KL Dragons of Malaysia on Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena. The 6-foot-9 Thomas, who arrived on Tuesday, will replace former import Donald Little. He has vowed to help turn the Patriots’ fortunes around in the ongoing AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Season 2. The three straight defeats have sent the defending champion Patriots to second place with a 6-4 mark, where they are joined by the Dragons. The Chang Thailand Slammers are currently on top with a 7-2 slate. This will be Thomas’ second tour of duty in the country after he nearly led the Express to the PBA Fiesta Conference crown in 2008. Ginebra won the Fiesta Cup by beating Air21 in a Game 7 that attracted a record PBA crowd of 21,000 fans. Thomas averaged 20.5 points, 16.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 blocks in his PBA stint. – KY, JVP, GMANews.TV