By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA
MANILA — Lee Hsueh Lin broke Alab Pilipinas’ hearts on Sunday as he came up big in Formosa’s 73-72 win in the ASEAN Basketball League at the Changhua County Stadium.
Lee made five straight points in a 19-second span in the endgame as the Dreamers averted a late collapse against Alab.
Holding to a lead as high as 15 points in the third quarter, Formosa suddenly found itself in danger of losing at home as Alab came alive from there and even took a 69-68 lead on a Renaldo Balkman layup with 39 seconds left.
Lee, however, pulled off an ankle-breaker and converted a jumper with 20.6 seconds to play to give the Dreamers a 70-69 lead.
Ethan Alvano gave Alab another crack at the lead as he made a three-pointer off the screen to put them up, 72-70, with 6.1 seconds left.
Lee answered with a triple of his own with one second left that eventually became the game-winner.
Thomas Torres was forced to a long inbound pass as Alab ran out of timeouts, and the ball went at the hands of Malcolm Miller, who milked the remaining second on the clock.
Tevin Glass put up 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and five steals for Formosa, which forced a virtual tie with Alab and Macau for first place at 8-4. Alab and Macau (6-2) remain on top on winning percentage, although the latter can jump to solo first place with a win at CLS later Sunday.
Balkman made 27 markers, 16 rebounds, one assist, and three blocks for Alab, whose two losses came in its recently concluded three-game stretch in five nights.
In another ABL clash, Malaysia edged Zhuhai, 89-83, at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
