ZAMBOANGA – The Zamboanga Valientes couldn’t have gotten a perfect time for the return of their biggest reinforcement.
Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins will suit up for the the Valientes as they seek a berth in the title game of The Asian Tournament grand finals on Friday night against upset-conscious Naic Aces at the Zamboanga Coliseum.
The 6-foot-10 Cousins sat out the team’s last game in the group stage against the Hong Kong Vanta Dragons to rest what the Valientes termed was a minor injury.
Without their high-profile import, the Valientes had to battle their way back from as much as a 15-point deficit to pull off the 97-90 win that gave them the No. 1 seed in the semifinals.
Team owner Junnie Navarro said Cousins said he’s ready to play in the semis.
Diouf steps up
Malik Diouf returned to active duty against the Dragons to finish with a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds, import Ricky Bryce topscored with 29 points and 15 rebounds, Franky Johnson with 20, and local hero Rudy Lingganay with 15.
But the Valientes need to be better against the Aces, who pushed the home team to the limit before losing a 79-78 thriller during their group-stage encounter.
Zamboanga is seeking its first championship in the fledgling league after losing to Pola RPG during the third leg final held in Mindoro.
In the other pairing in the crossover semis, Leg 1 winner Macau Black Bears tangle with the Hong Kong Vanta Dragons.
The finals is set on Saturday night.
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