 |
| Norman Goh/ABL |
By Dugout Philippines
KUALA LUMPUR--Malaysia moved to within a win from an ABL finals berth with an 84-68 blowout win against Saigon in Game 1 of their semifinal series at the MABA Stadium on Saturday.
The Dragons exploited the absence of Moses Morgan for Heat as they pulled away for good in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 27-16.
Reggie Johnson collected 29 points, 23 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals for Malaysia, which can secure the finals berth in Ho Chi Minh next week.
Lenny Daniel also had 29 markers while getting 12 boards, two dimes, two swats, and three swipes for Saigon, but he did not get help particularly from the bench players, who failed to score even a single point the entire game.
On whether Morgan, who broke his nose after receiving an accidental hit from Singapore Slinger Wu Qingde and complained about its aftereffects, will suit up for the Heat in the return leg remains uncertain.
Box Scores:
Malaysia 84-Johnson 29, Wright 18, Loh 13, Godfrey 9, Brickman 9, Kuek 5, Ma 1, Y. Wong 0, W. Wong 0
Saigon 68-Daniel 29, Williams 13, Arnold 13, Trieu 8, S. Nguyen 5, T. Nguyen 0, Ngo 0, To 0, Tran 0
Quarterscores: 21-18, 35-33, 57-52, 84-68
Follow the site on Twitter: @DugoutPH
.jpg)
