SANTA ROSA, Laguna - Hong Kong Eastern imposed its will once again on Alab Pilipinas in an 83-61 decision on Sunday night in the Asean Basketball League (ABL).
The Long Lions beat Alab for the second time in three days, this time before the Philippine side's own home fans at the Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex to improve their league-best record to 15-2 (win-loss) while extending their win streak to 10 games.
Alab Pilipinas dropped its third straight game and fourth over its last five to drop out of contention for a top-two spot - and guaranteed homecourt advantage in the semifinals.
The struggling Philippine side, now with a 9-9 record, will face Hong Kong Eastern for a third successive time next Sunday night in Davao City.
Thai-American import Tyler Lamb led Hong Kong with 24 points while former NBA player and San Miguel import Josh Boone had a double-double of 23 points and 19 boards.
Falling behind early, Alab showed signs of life by cutting the deficit to 13 points, only for the Long Lions to answer with a five-point swing capped by a triple by Lamb.
Lawrence Domingo led the way for Alab Pilipinas with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while James Hughes added 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Robby Celiz had 12 points but import Sampson Carter was limited to only six points but grabbed nine boards.
Hong Kong once again took a 6-0 lead and was never seriously threatened in the ballgame. The Long Lions' lead reached a high of 24 points.
The scores:
Hong Kong Eastern (83) - Lamb 24, Boone 23, Elliott 18, Chan S.W. 5, Fong S.Y. 5, Guinchard 4, Lau T.L. 3, Tang C.H. 1, Ip C.K. 0, Lee K. 0, Chung C.S. 0, Wu C.P. 0.
Alab Pilipinas (61) - Domingo 15, Celiz 12, Hughes 12, Parks 9, Fortuna 7, Carter 6, Hubalde 0, Cawaling 0, Mendoza 0, Acuna 0.
Quarterscores: 24-12, 48-28, 67-44, 83-61.