SANTA ROSA, Laguna - Josh Boone made his return to the Philippines a memorable one.
The former San Miguel Beer import put together a double-double of 23 points and 19 rebounds to go with four blocks in Hong Kong Eastern's 83-61 win over slumping Alab Pilipinas at the Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex on Sunday.
Boone, an NBA veteran, proved a thorn in the side of the Philippine side in his first game in the country since being cut by the Beermen and replaced with Kevin Jones despite a 2-0 start in the 2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
"It was great," said Boone in a brief interview with SPIN.ph. "The Philippines is a basketball country. I always love coming here even more. It would be nice to come back here next week."
Despite his short-lived stint with the Beermen, Boone proved to be a hit among Filipino fans who mobbed him for autographs and photo opportunities after the game.
Boone was a late addition to the Hong Kong lineup and he has made quite an impact as the Long Lions extended their winning run to 10 games.
"It's been fun and very different. We have been winning games so that makes it a lot better," Boone said.