ABL: PHL Patriots seek revenge vs Dragons

The Philippine Patriots with new import Steve Thomas try to recover from a three-game slump when they meet the Kuala Lumpur Dragons at 4 p.m. on Thursday in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Season 2 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. The Patriots and the Dragons, which scored a 96-81 win against the host squad two weeks ago, are currently tied for second place with 6-4 marks behind the 7-2 slate of the league-leading Chang Thailand Slammers. Philippine coach Louie Alas said he is hoping that the 6-foot-9 Thomas, who played for the Air21 Express in the PBA in 2008, can provide the stability and inside presence that the Patriots have been lacking this season. "I can see that he's (Thomas) determined to help the team, because he practiced right away upon his arrival on Tuesday," said Alas. "He's strong inside the paint so we have to take advantage of that." Team manager Errick Arejola, and co-owners Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Cojuangco, think that Thomas will not make an impact right away. But Alas believes that Thomas can easily get his way and make a strong statement. "He told me that he will do everything that I would ask from him, so let’s see. But he’s a good man." Alas also stresses that they have to play a little tougher, especially on the defensive end, for the Patriots to get out of their slump. "We really have to play tough defensively if we want to savor the sweet taste of winning again," added Alas, who also noted that the team’s other import, Hashiem Wright, must shoot well from the outside. The locals – Junjun Cabatu, Egay Billones, Chito Jaime and Warren Ybanes – should also do their share. Alas said he considers Kuala Lumpur's imports Alex Hartman and Nakiea Miller as two of the toughest reinforcements in the league. Banking on their inside and outside plays, Miller and Hartman helped Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma reach the finals in the first season of the league. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV