LAPU-LAPU CITY – Rhenz Abando looks to lead Anyang Jung Kwan Jang to a victory in the EASL Final Four despite a recurring injury when they face the Seoul SK Knights in an all-Korea showdown at the Hoops Dome on Friday.
Abando’s Red Boosters face the Knights at 5 p.m. in the first semifinal game with the winner facing either Chiba Jets or New Taipei Kings, who clash in the other semifinal at 8 p.m. The championship will be played on Sunday night.
Anyang is the reigning champion, having captured the EASL Champions Week crown last year, incidentally, with a 90-84 win over Seoul SK Knights in Okinawa, Japan.
It appears that Abando is a go for Friday’s clash as he was named part of the 12-man roster of the Red Boosters despite dealing with a back injury, still part of the effects of his horror fall last December in a Korean Basketball League game.
Anyang coach Kim Sang Shik acknowledged the magnitude of Abando’s presence in the Philippines, and will try his best to balance the fans’ desire to see him play and his health.
“As a coach, obviously, I want to win the game. But as a coach, I also want to protect Rhenz as much as possible. I want to play Rhenz but I also have a responsibility to protect Rhenz,” said Kim through an interpreter.
Anyang is looking to salvage the year with a place in the EASL finals as the Red Boosters are still in the bubble in their bid to reach the KBL playoffs. They finished second in Group A with a 4-2 win-loss record, with two of their victories coming at the expense of PBA ballclub TNT.
Aside from Abando, another familiar face for the Red Boosters is Jamil Wilson, a former PBA import who played for Converge in the Commissioner’s Cup.
Robert Carter and Jihoon Park are also two of the players to watch for Anyang, being the top two leading scorers of the team.
The Red Boosters, however, are facing a Seoul SK Knights team that topped Group B with a similar 4-2 slate. The Knights are currently at second place in the ongoing KBL season.
The Knights are being led by Jameel Warney, who has been KBL’s Foreign MVP thrice over the past four seasons and is averaging 24 points for the team this season.
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