PJ Ramos returns with triple-double in Alab’s bounce-back win

MANILA, Philippines – It didn’t take long for San Miguel Alab Pilipinas to bounce back to the win column as it routed the lowly Zhuhai Wolf Warriors, 105-79, in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) on Friday, February 15. 

Alab extended its league-leading win-loss slate to 14-3 while Zhuhai remained rock-bottom in the 10-team club league. 

PJ Ramos, Alab’s  7-foot-3 behemoth, returned from his bout with food poisoning and recorded his first triple-double of the season, tallying 15 points, 14 boards and 11 assists in the easy win.

Renaldo Balkman, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, then paced the collective team charge with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. 

Two-time Local MVP Ray Parks Jr stayed hot, netting 15 points on a 5-of-8 (62%) shooting while Caelan Tiongson added 10 markers and 5 boards.

Although the defending champs were cold on offense in the 1st quarter and trailed 26-20 to begin the 2nd, their patented fastbreaks eventually got going as they exploded for a 23-6 run, punctuated by a Balkman and-one layup to suddenly clinch a double-digit lead, 44-32. 

Law Domingo then skied high for the dagger alley-oop and the 31-point lead, 103-72, with 4 minutes left in regulation. 

Zhuhai imports Mike Bell and Cory Bradford led their team with 22 and 17 points, respectively. – Rappler.com