Singapore Indoor Stadium, Sunday, October 3, 2010 — The Singapore Slingers started their second ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) season on a brilliant note with a nail-biting 94-93 win over arch-rivals and last year’s runners-up Satria Muda at home.

ASEAN import Leo Avenido led the Slingers with 20 points, including five three-pointers and four rebounds, while Kyle Jeffers and Marcus Skinner got double-doubles with 19 points each together with 10 and 11 boards respectively. Al Vergara scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds while Steven Khoo was the top-performer for the locals with 11 points and two rebounds.

Although Satria Muda, who beat the Slingers in the semi-final playoffs last season, trailed for most of the match, they always kept within striking distance, thanks to new American import Marcus Morrison’s game-high 34 points which included 7-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. ASEAN import Francis Adriano contributed another 23 points for the Jakarta-based team.

However, their efforts were not enough to prevent the Slingers from taking the match by the slimmest of fashion.

The Slingers came out firing on all cylinders at the start of the match as they raced to a 6-0 lead within the first two and a half minutes and thanks to a three-pointer by Leo Avenido, Satria Muda’s bench called for a timeout.

It did wonders as the away side began to find their rhythm and got their first points through American import Jamal Holden with a drive to the basket at 4:40. They soon strung some points together and it was not long before last season’s finalist took the lead at 12-11 in emphatic fashion through a dunk from Jamal Holden at with 3:10 remaining in the first.

Jeffers snatched the lead back for the home side and they managed to hold the lead at the end of the first quarter at 23-20.

Both teams were almost immediately back on level terms with Francis Adriano tying the match at 23-23 with a three-pointer. The two sides then proceeded to trade the lead until midway through the quarter when Slingers strung together a 9-0 run.

With the scores level at 35-35, Jeffers started the run with a three-point play and followed it up with a dunk. Al Vergara also got in on the action with a pair of free throws and a layup on the break.

However, Morrison dragged Satria Muda back into the match as he drained three three-pointers. Adriano also added another jumper at the end of the second half to cut the Slingers lead down to just two points at the half at 50-48.

The third quarter saw a series of free throws at the start as both teams traded the lead from the charity stripe. This time, it was Satria Muda’s turn to make the run midway through the third period. The Slingers were unable to contain their opponents as the away side had their way with the Slingers’ defense, going on an 8-0 run.

After Morrison gave Satria Muda a 68-61 lead, Leo Avenido, who had just seven points in the first half, finally got going in the third when the Slingers needed him the most. He nailed three three-pointers and one free throw to single-handedly give the Slingers the lead at 71-70 towards the end of the quarter.

Satria Muda did manage to take the lead into the fourth quarter with a layup at the end of the third, but it did not last long. This time, Marcus Skinner was on hand to make the baskets. The American import performed poorly in the first three periods due to a knee injury, garnering just eight points, but he exploded with seven straight points within the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. Together with another three by Leo Avenido, which gave the Slingers an 81-75 lead, Satria Muda were forced into another timeout.

Satria Muda played much better basketball after the timeout and things got even better for them with 4:06 left in the match when Slingers’ captain Jeffers fouled out after collecting his fifth personal foul on Jamal Holden.

With just an 87-83 lead after Holden nailed both his free throws, questions were asked about whether the Slingers would crack under the pressure. However, the local side displayed character and responded brilliantly in the absence of their captain. Steven Khoo drilled a three-pointer while Marcus Skinner put in the rebound after Leo Avenido missed his driving layup for a 92-83 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

Go to next page for rest of the story and more photos

The Philippine Patriots can wrap up the first-ever ABL title in this match while Satria Muda BritAma will attempt to delay the title celebrations at home. Join Red Crew Erwin Wong as he brings you the play-by-play action on court live from Jakarta’s BritAma Arena!

Join the Red Crew of Erwin Wong, Koh Yizhe and Yvonne Yap for the live play-by-play commentary of the match at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, January 6th, 8pm.

Singapore Indoor Stadium, Monday, December 7, 2009 – The Thailand Tigers survived a late rally by the Singapore Slingers to edge the home side 65-62 and subject them to their second defeat in as many games in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).

The Slingers started the season with four straight wins, but after falling to the Philippine Patriots last month, things went downhill from there. Although they managed a slim 61-59 victory over Satria Muda BritAma in their next away game, the Slingers were then defeated 84-74 by the KL Dragons in their next match at home. With this latest setback, the Singapore Slingers now have a 5-3 win-loss record.

The Tigers, meanwhile, improve to 3-6, with this road win against the Slingers their first of the season after six attempts.

The Slingers had a positive start, taking advantage of Tigers’ turnovers to jump to a quick 15-7 lead with four and a half minutes played. The starting Slinger five of co-captain Michael Wong, alongside the four imports, Kyle Jeffers, Marcus Ng, Michael LeBlanc and Al Vergara, doing the damage for the Slingers in the opening minutes.

However, poor ball-handling on the part of the Slingers allowed the Tigers to keep within striking distance and the visitors ended the quarter only six points adrift at 16-22.

The second period belonged squarely to the Tigers as they limited the Slingers to just a measly seven points. Ratdech Kruatiwa reduced the hosts’ lead to just two points with a three-pointer at the 6:19 mark, while a quick steal by Attaporn Lertmalaiporn allowed him to level the scores at 27 with a layup.

Attaporn then sank a three-pointer to give the Tigers the lead for good with more than four minutes left in the quarter, and the Tigers extended their lead further at half-time to nine points (38-29).

The Tigers continued their dominance and mastery of the Slingers upon resumption. Kruatiwa started the quarter brilliantly for the Tigers with a three-pointer as the Slingers struggled to make their chances count in the early goings. As a result, the Tigers led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter.

Although they managed to reduce the deficit with LeBlanc’s powerful plays in the paint, the Slingers still trailed by nine points at 39-48 heading into the final quarter.

The Slingers were a different side in the final quarter. Although their opponents started with a 5-0 run, two consecutive three-pointers by Marcus Ng and Desmond Oh, along with a three-point play by Marcus, put the crowd firmly behind the Slingers and reduce the deficit to six points with 4:50 left on the clock. It was down to just four points at 61-65 when Kyle Jeffers made a layup three minutes later.

A series of missed free throws by Ikenna Chukwuemeka Nwankwo gave the Slingers and the home fans a glimpse of hope, but cheap turnovers and fouls cost them in the dying moments as Marcus failed to make a three-pointer at the buzzer.

“We showed what we could do in the last few minutes of the game when we chased the game,” said Slingers’ ASEAN import Marcus Ng, “but that was what we should have done throughout the match. We had trouble running through them as they shot down all our fast break and we couldn’t make crucial plays.”

Slingers’ court captain and point guard Al Vergara attributed the loss to his team’s defense and rebounding. Al said: “It was bad. In the first quarter we led by 8 points, the second quarter we only scored 5 points? In the fourth quarter, we didn’t have time. They (Tigers) had a lot of offensive rebounds.”

The Slingers will have to bounce back on the road against third-placed Satria Muda BritAma on Saturday, while the Tigers will take on the KL Dragons on Sunday.

Quarter by Quarter Scores
Singapore Slingers v Thailand Tigers
1st Q: 22-16
2nd Q: 7-22
3rd Q: 10-10
4th Q: 23-17

Singapore Slingers Game Box Score

Thailand Tigers Game Box Score

2009 ASEAN Basketball League Fixtures

After four pre-season matches, the Singapore Slingers’ lineup is starting to take shape for as the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) season tips-off for them today.

Kyle Jeffers, Al Vergara, Marcus Ng and Michael Leblanc have been brought in to strengthen the team, and they have greatly impressed during the pre-season matches. There’s no doubt they will start in the Slingers’ all-important first ABL match against the Brunei Barracudas.

This is pretty much what we expected, but the question is, who will be the fifth player? It will definitely be a local as there has been no announcement made about a fifth foreign player.

Let’s analyze each player, shall we?

#10 Hong Wei Jian, 24 years old

Hong Wei Jian is the only Singaporean to start all four pre-season games, but his performance in the last match left much to be desired after contributing only two points while giving the ball away four times. On top of that, he injured his right hand after a collision with Steven Khoo which left him with a classic case of good news and bad news.

The good news is that there isn’t a fracture as initially feared. However, the bad news is that the swelling hasn’t subsided and his right is almost twice the size of his left hand after a week.

His chances of starting the game which definitely be affected. Personally, however, he believes he can still play.

“After a week of going SSC for massages, it feels better, but there is a still a lot of swelling and a bruise is starting to form. However, I don’t think it would affect my performance as I have been training all week with no problems. I am able to play on Sunday, but if I get hacked on my wrist, it could get worse.”

“This injury will affect me mentally more than anything, but not so much physically.”

He was also visibly exciting about the fact that the match is going to be shown on ESPN.

“Did you know the match is going to be on ESPN? Although it probably wouldn’t affect our performance, but the we have that “feel good” feeling. Hopefully more fans will come down because they want to be on TV!”

With last week’s local starter not 100% match fit, will there be a change in the starting line-up? Maybe this is a chance for the other local players to show what they can offer to the team?

#11 Michael Wong, 30 years old

A direct replacement for Wei Jian could be Michael Wong, but the 30 year old teacher from Hwa Chong Institution has yet to prove his worth to the coach.

Despite a solid performance in the first pre-season game against Coca-Cola Tigers when he scored 10 points in over 23 minutes of play, he has failed to impress since then.

“Its pretty tough juggling both being a professional basketball player and a teacher,” shared Michael. “There are days when I have to work quite late and when I come over for training, I don’t have that full of energy. Then when I get back home, I don’t really have ample rest because I have to wake up very early in the morning.”

With the struggles that he faces while balancing work and professional basketball, he probably isn’t the coach’s first choice when it comes to the starting five.

His inability to impress with the court-time time he had so far might have diminished the prospects of a starting slot for him, but Michael definitely brings experience and maturity to the team during crutch time as an effective substitution.

“One of the things that has kept me going besides my passion for the game is being a role model for those who may have always wanted to do this (balancing being a professional athlete and having a full-time job),” concluded the man who has taken the road less travelled by.

#5 Wong Wei Long, 21 years old

Since the start of the pre-season, a local player that has greatly improved is Wong Wei Long.

Although constantly in the shadow of the great Al Vergara, Wei Long is desperate to prove his worth with whatever limited time he has on the court.

In the comeback against San Miguel, Wong Wei Long only scored 5 points, but his vision and ball movement showed great progress since his first game against the Smart Gilas. He also started the fourth quarter and led his team at a crucial time to cut San Miguel’s lead before giving way to Al Vergara, the first choice point-guard.

“I was raring to go after seating on the bench for so long. So when the coach put me on, I tried my best to win every ball with plenty of energy,” reflected Wei Long after the match.

Always looking for ways to improve his game and finding avenues to help the team seems to be this 21 year old National Service (NS) boy’s sense of motivation.

“Each of us has role models to look up to and learn from,” shared Wei Long “For me, it is Al Veraga. He is the first choice point-guard and there is a lot to learn from him about his vision and passing. His ball handling is also far superior to mine – the difference is like heave and hell!”

“Of course, it would take hard work from my part to reach that level,” added Wei Long “And I’ll have to impress whenever I am on court to gain the coach’s confidence. I also hope to contribute more to the team with both points and vision.”

So much hunger can felt be from this passionate young player – it will be hard for Frank Arsego to ignore this fact for much longer.

#13 Steven Khoo, 24 years old

Yet another player that has to balance service to his country and professional basketball is Steven Khoo.

But unlike Wei Long, who just started NS, he only has 31 more days till he can become a full-time Slinger!

“I’ll have to prove to the coach what I can do on the court. I don’t think I have reached my best yet because of the lack of rest. After work, I have to train so I don’t get enough rest time,” said towering forward “But once I get out of NS, it will be Slingers all the way. With the focus, I believe I’ll get much better then.”

We definitely haven’t seen much from Steven, or what the potential he possess. It might be sometime before we see him as a starting player.

#15 Path Matialakan, 29 years old

Another possible replacement for Wei Jian would be Pathman Matialakan.

But a very powerful forward or centre by nature, his playing style and roles is a great contrast with the more agile and active Wei Jian.

With his physical presence rather unsettling for his opponents, much of the scoring responsibility falls on his shoulders. He is expected to at least score in double digits to take some of the pressure off the foreigners.

However, during the pre-season, he hasn’t always been able to do that.

He started relatively well with a nine points and six boards performance in the first match and did one better with 10 points in the next. But he hit a snag in the third match against Ginebra with a mere two points.

After a talk with the coaching staff where he was told to be “more assertive and demand the ball”, he bounced back and had his best pre-season game with 13 points and four rebounds.

When asked about the start of the ABL and how such a big stage might affect his performance, Pathman remarked, “I am trying not to think so much about the occasion or the height of the opponents we will face. I want to concentrate on my own performance instead of all the little details that might derail me.”

“That might be hard with ESPN coming in to telecast our much. It doesn’t get any bigger than ESPN as they are the “worldwide leader in sports”, but I can’t be thinking about it. I have to get myself prepared and focus on the victory on Sunday.”

Much has also been said about the possibility of him being handed the captaincy. But of course, that’s a secret. If he is, however, it might increase his chances of being in the starting five.

#2 Desmond Oh, 23 years old

There is no doubt about the defensive abilities of Desmond Oh. During his last match against San Miguel, he ran around the court like a man out to prove something. And proved something he did, as it was his defensive contribution that eventually won them the match.

Desmond Oh played tenacious defence on San Miguel’s Dondon Hontiveros after the latter got free for 13 of his 18 points in the 3rd quarter.

“We won because of our teamwork and defence, and we also shut their shooters down,” said Desmond after the match “When I was on the floor, I concentrated on my defence. My role was to man-mark their #7 (Hontiveros).”

His all teammates also sang praises for him after the match.

“I don’t like to single out players from the team, but I believe Desmond (Oh) played very well, especially in defense!” commented Michael Leblanc.

“Desmond (Oh) was great in defense,” analysed Wei Long “But he lacks confidence on the offensive front.”

Indeed, this is a cause for concern for both Desmond and team coaching staff. Even he admits that he is a defense player and the coach uses him solely for defensive reasons.

“Defensives is my focus and it’s the area that I work on in training,” said Desmond, clearly a man of little words. “I’ll have to learn to work on my offense and shooting. I have to take the opportunities to shoot when they present themselves to me.”

He will definitely have to work on his offense before he has any chance to be in the starting five.

Singapore Indoor Stadium, Wednesday, September 30, 2009 – Michael LeBlanc made his debut with the Singapore Slingers in their third pre-season Challenge Series match and turned in a commendable score card of 19 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double.

Despite concluding the evening as the second highest scorer trailing Kyle Jeffers by just a point, the 2.02m American was far from impressed by his performance.

“Yes, I am very disappointed with the result,” LeBlanc said without hesitation. “But we can take a lot from the match. We didn’t do the little things that the coach preached about like handling the ball well and, as a result, these little things killed the match for us.”

LeBlanc is one of the four foreign imports playing for the Slingers. The other three foreign imports are Kyle Jeffers, Al Vergara and Marcus Ng.

The Slingers crashed to the Ginebra Kings 72-77 in this Challenge Series match and the Slingers’ head coach, Frank Arsego, attributed the defeat to a lack of team cohesion and extremely poor possession.

Resonating with Arsego’s analysis, LeBlanc said, “We gave the ball away too easily so they could score easy buckets. It is also the first time the whole team is playing together but of course, there can be no excuses.”

“I don’t look at stats – I’ve played badly if the team loses,” said LeBlanc like a true team player. “I could have made a few easy shots and rebounds while my defense could have been better as well. There is definitely room for improvement, and we can only improve from now.”

LeBlanc will again feature in the Slingers’ final Challenge Series match against the defending Philipine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference champions San Miguel Beermen this Sunday, October 4 at 4pm.

After two matches of the pre-season Challenge Series, the Singapore Slingers face their toughest opponents yet – the legendary Barangay Ginebra Kings.

The last time these two teams met, the 2008 version of the Singapore Slingers trounced their Filipino opponents 100-68. The local players showed what they had to offer in that match, with Hong Wei Jian, Desmond Oh, Tan Chin Hong, Steven Khoo and Pathman finishing the game on court and Weijian performing an emphatic dunk.

Plenty of changes have been made to that Slingers’ side since then, of course. The introduction of two new Americans into the squad, along with seven local Singapore talents, are among the changes in preparation for the upcoming ASEAN Basketball League.

But unlike the Slingers of old, the locals haven’t been up to the mark in the previous two pre-season games. Filipino Al Vergara was top scorer with 20 points in the first match against the Coca-Cola Tigers, while American Kyle Jeffers bore much of the scoring responsibility with 20 points when the Slingers played Smart Gilas Pilipinas.

How about the local Singapore basketballers?

Out of the eight Singaporean players, only Wei Jian has made a note-worthy impact with his 12-point performance in each game. Pathman would be next in line with 19 points from the two games, but the rest have yet to show what they can do.

Singapore’s ex-national basketballer and former Slingers player Koh Meng Koon commented after the Slingers’ defeat to the Smart Gilas game: “Right now, the scoring responsibilities are falling on Kyle Jeffers. The Slingers require one or two more locals to step up to score double digits. If Jeffers gets shut down, nobody else can get the points for the team.”

Another troubled area which the Slingers will hope to sort out is their style of play. Against the quicker and larger Smart Gilas opponents, the Slingers struggled to find their rhythm. And when they held the lead in the third quarter, the Slingers chose to play a fast-paced game which suited their opponents better, resulting in careless turnovers while attempting to extend the lead. The outcome was easy points for Smart Gilas on the break and an unimaginable 17 turnovers for the Slingers.

Although Wei Jian got the points, his five turnovers against Smart Gilas is a definite cause for concern.

“The Slingers’ rebounding as well as three-point shooting was superior,” explained Meng Koon. “So it is definitely the turnovers that killed the game for the Slingers. They will have to adopt their own style of play instead of following their opponents’. If they maintained possession and took things slow, the Slingers could have won the match.”

But it isn’t all bad news for the Slingers. American Michael LeBlanc will make his long-awaited appearance against the Ginebra Kings after he had to go back home due to a family emergency.

The Slingers will hope to repeat their impressive feat once again in front of their home crowd, but it will no easy task against the runners-up of the Philippine Basketball Association.