LEBRON Lopez missed the biggest game of the Overtime Elite League season as Team OTE clipped Team Overtime, 76-74, on Saturday at the OTE Center of Excellence in Atlanta (Sunday, Manila time).
The Filipino guard remained grounded in Manila due to visa issues that has kept him from suiting up in the groundbreaking program.
Team OTE, though, had plenty of heroes to bank on as the Tim Fanning-coached side moved to the top spot at 12-2.
Matt Bewley scored the go-ahead three-point play for Team OTE, before Johned Walker stole the ball from Jean Montero and split his freebies to secure the slim two-point win.
Amen Thompson paced Team OTE with 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Walker got 12 points and three steals.
Izan Almansa chipped in 12 points, nine boards, and three dimes, Tyler Smith contributed 11 points on a perfect 3-of-3 clip from deep, as well as three steals, and Bewley had nine points and seven rebounds in the win.
Team OTE scores its 12th win in 14 outings.
Montero led Team Overtime with 18 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and three steals, including the buzzer-beating lay-up to tie the game at 72 and force a sudden death where the first team to score four points wins the game.
Dominick Barlow also poured 17 points and six boards as the Ryan Gomes-mentored crew dropped to 11-3.
Lewis Duarte actually had a chance to ice the game for Team Overtime, but he muffed both of his charities that kept the game at 74-72 and left the door wide open for Team OTE to steal the game in OT.
Team OTE will try to continue this six-game win streak next Saturday when it plays Sunrise Christian Prep in a Prep Challenge duel at the same venue.
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