Friday, January 08, 2010, Malaysia – As the weekend approaches, another 3 matches will be held from 9th to 11th January. The KL Dragons will be doing double duty this week as they prepare for two matches. On 9 January, the KL Dragons will be facing the Philippine Patriots, 5pm at MABA Stadium, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. The KL Dragons have previously lost both matches to the Patriots, but after each match, the KL Dragons have managed to reduce the Patriots’ winning margin.
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| Picture by Francis Espeleta |
The KL Dragons first met the Patriots on 15 November, where the Patriots won the match with a 10 point lead, ending 73 – 63 against the Dragons. On their next match on 19 December, KL Dragons picked up the pace and reduced Patriots win to just six points. Whether the Dragons turn the tables on the Patriots is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure, the Dragons will definitely give the Patriots a run for their money, being more confident playing in front of their home crowd and fans at MABA Stadium.
On 11 January at 8pm, the KL Dragons will make another appearance, this time going up against Singapore Slingers. This will be their second meeting at Singapore Indoor Stadium, where previously the KL Dragons served the Slingers their first home loss on 22 November with a 10 point lead, ending the match 84 - 74 against the home team.
The Slingers then proceeded to lose their next two matches, to Thailand Tigers on 7 December and Satria Muda BritAma on 12 December. The Slingers, not wanting to start the new year on the wrong foot, turned their game around and won their final match of 2009 against the Thailand Tigers on 17 December. Starting 2010 with confidence, the third placed Slingers then proceed to defeat top seeded Philippine Patriots in a closely fought match that saw both teams neck-in-neck until the fourth quarter where the Slingers finally took the lead and won the match 67 – 59. The Slingers will definitely be bringing their game on 11 January, which is their last home match before they go on the road for the last 3 matches before the playoffs.
On 10 January, Satria Muda BritAma will meet with Brunei Barracudas, 3pm at the BritAma Arena, Jakarta, Indonesia. Satria Muda BritAma, who are currently second in the league standings, have strengthened their player lineup with a new addition, Mario Wuysang. Wuysang, who previously played for Indonesian Basketball League team Garuda Flexi Bandung, will be replacing Rensy Bajar as point guard at Satria Muda BritAma.
The Brunei Barracudas will need a win here if they are to ensure their place in the playoffs. Currently in fourth place, the Barracudas face Satria Muda BritAma again on 16 January, followed by top seeds Singapore Slingers and Philippine Patriots, giving them a hefty lineup for their final 3 matches before the playoffs, making every match a crucial one if they are to fend off the KL Dragons in the contention for the playoffs.
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Position
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Team
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Played
|
Won
|
Loss
|
For
|
Against
|
Points
|
|
1
|
Philippine Patriots
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12
|
9
|
3
|
869
|
794
|
21
|
|
2
|
Satria Muda BritAma
|
12
|
7
|
5
|
873
|
836
|
19
|
|
3
|
Singapore Slingers
|
11
|
7
|
4
|
783
|
760
|
18
|
|
4
|
Brunei Barracudas
|
11
|
5
|
6
|
860
|
873
|
16
|
|
5
|
Thailand Tigers
|
13
|
3
|
10
|
944
|
995
|
16
|
|
6
|
KL Dragons
|
11
|
4
|
7
|
794
|
865
|
15
|
For more information, please contact Mr Kuhan Foo, Chief Executive Officer of the ASEAN Basketball League at email kuhan@aseanbasketballleague.com, or Samantha Surin, Marketing at +6016 219 8847 or email samantha@aseanbasketballleague.com.
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