Story by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports. Photos by Joseph Lee and Matthew Lau/Red Sports
Justin Howard (Slingers #55) goes in for a layup as Saigon Heat defence tries to block him. He finished with a game high of 24 points. (Photo 1 © Matthew Lau/Red Sports)
OCBC Arena, Wednesday, October 1, 2014 — The Singapore Slingers defeated the Saigon Heat 79–65 in their final home game of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), securing a spot in the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
Justin Howard (#55) led the Slingers with a solid double-double, contributing 24 points and 20 boards. Dior Lowhorn (#33) had a near double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds. Wong Wei Long (#5) led the local players with 14 points. Justin Williams (#2) led the Heat with 20 points and 16 rebounds.
Early in the opening quarter, the Slingers could not get their shots to sink, allowing the Heat to take an early 8–2 lead. After a timeout, Slingers took their first lead (12–10) after four quick points from Desmond Oh (#2) and Howard (#55). After a series of baskets, the Slingers held a slim one-point 20–19 lead to end the first quarter.
The Heat went into a shooting slump in the second quarter, allowing the Slingers to extend their lead. Froilan Baguion (#17) and former Slinger Leonidez Avenido (#18) were the only ones who found opportunities for the Heat. The Slingers combined for a 56% field goal percentage to outscore the Heat 26–19, taking a 12-point 46–38 lead at the end of the half.
The Heat opened the third quarter with an 8–2 run to trim the Slingers’ lead to just two points. A layup by Howard (#55) stopped the bleeding for the Slingers. Howard (#55) and Lowhorn (#33) sparked the Slingers back to a nine-point 63–54 lead. A late drive by Avenido (#18) ended the quarter, helping the Heat reduce the deficit to seven points.
The Heat’s scoring woes returned in the final quarter, as they could not convert their baskets. Williams (#2), who had good looks at the basket, missed all seven of his shots in the quarter. The Heat were not helped by their crucial turnovers as they were held to just nine points. A layup by Tan Chin Hong (#1) sealed the 79–65 victory for the Slingers.
On securing a playoff spot, Slingers head coach Neo Beng Siang said, “I just want to take a break after this win. This relieves some of my pressure, giving us a couple of days to build up on our team’s offence and defence.
“After missing the playoffs two years in a row, we finally got it back. I’m very happy and proud of the players. We will take the rest of the games one at a time, and hope for wins to secure the second spot in the standings.”
During the game, the Slingers donned pink jerseys to increase awareness for cancer, marking the third consecutive year of collaboration with the Singapore Cancer Society. The jerseys were auctioned off after the game and all proceeds were donated to the Singapore Cancer Society.
The Singapore Slingers have three remaining road games in the regular season against Westports Malaysia Dragons, the Heat, and Hi-Tech Bangkok City. The games will be played on October 12, 17 and 26 respectively.
Scoring by Quarter
Singapore Slingers vs Saigon Heat
1st Quarter: 20–19
2nd Quarter: 26–19 (46–38)
3rd Quarter: 17–18 (63–56)
4th Quarter: 16–9 (79–65)
Scorers
Singapore Slingers: Howard – 24, Lowhorn – 20, Wong – 14, Oh – 7, Liew – 4, Ng – 3, Vergara – 3, Tan – 2, Low – 2
Saigon Heat: Williams – 20, Scott – 15, Avenido – 12, Baguion – 11, Arnold – 5, Le – 2
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