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White-hot Alab scorches misfiring Saigon as Parks breaks another ABL record

Bobby Ray Parks set another record at Olivarez as Alab torches struggling Saigon.

By Kevin Estrada

PARAÑAQUE -- After their embarassing beatdown last Sunday away at Hong Kong Eastern, Alab Pilipinas vented their anger and frustration to the visiting Saigon Heat, scorching them to ashes to register their biggest win of the season, 99-77 in the ASEAN Basketball League Friday evening at the jam-packed Olivarez Coliseum.

In what was supposed to be a contest between two flaming sides that came off from their respective losses, hometown hero Bobby Ray Parks created another milestone in his debut ABL season, breaking another record on the same floor where he broke the local scoring record last December 11 by firing an immaculate 8/8 clip from the long line en route to a game-high 35 markers, eclipsing Wesley Hsu's seven made triples last Wednesday in Kaohsiung's beatdown away at Malaysia Dragons, as coach Mac Cuan and the rest of Alab solidified their third spot in the standings with a wire-to-wire win at 6-3.

Parks' hot shooting night was part of the larger shooting clinic from the home side that shot 64% (14/22) from beyond the arc, and his ever-stellar play even infected his teammates for a good reason, with Sampson Carter, James Hughes and Lawrence Domingo all have double-doubles that combined for 43 points and 36 boards for the trio, as Alab led by as much as 28 huge markers at 85-57 when Hans Thiele even scored a bucket with 8:43 to play, as the hosts stamped their class with their biggest win of the season.

Tony Garbelotto's first visit to the country ended in a nightmare for the Heat who languish to the rock-bottom of the standings at 1-6, with only seven out of the eight in uniform for the Vietnamese side got their playing time and was even whistled for a technical foul late in the game, but will leave the country with a lot of positives, especially Fil-Am Guard Joshua Munzon's 20-point performance on his Philippine debut, somehow making up for Christien Charles' 6-point output while playing with a bad left leg.

After a lethargic performance last Sunday in Wan Chai when they were killed by the Long Lions in the middle two quarters, Alab vented their frustrations at the hapless Heat right from the opening tip, with Parks catching fire with five first quarter treys, three of them in the midst of an 11-0 run that led to a huge 28-14 lead at the first buzzer.

Alab practically sealed their sixth win in the second quarter with another 11-0 bomb en route to a 54-30 thrashing at half time, with dunks by Hughes and Munzon electrified the 2,500 strong crowd that filled the court to the rafters.

Although Saigon got the second half by a combined lead of just two points, Alab are glad to take an eight-day break heading to their rematch in Davao with a convincing win.

The Scores:

ALAB PILIPINAS
99 Parks 35, Carter 16, Domingo 15, Hughes 12, Cawaling 9, Fortuna 6, Hubalde 2, Celiz 2, Thiele 2

SAIGON 77 - Daniel 31, Munzon 20, S. Nguyen 9, Arnold 6, Charles 6, H. Nguyen 5

Quarter scores: 28-14, 54-30, 80-57, 99-77

Follow him on Twitter: @KevinLEstrada