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AirAsia Philippine Patriots coach Glenn Capacio admitted that they lost to a well-prepared team in the San Miguel Beermen during an ASEAN Basketball League preseason tournament in Bangkok over the weekend.
“They deserved to win,” said Capacio. “Matagal na silang nagpeprepare. Kami naman, isang buwan palang. Malayo pa talaga kami.”
The Patriots bowed to the Beermen, 84-76, in the preseason tournament called To Be Number 1 Basketball Challenge in Bangkok, Thailand.
Import Richard Johnson and former Patriot Jun Cabatu led the Beermen in scoring with 17 points while Chris Banchero, an American-based Filipino born to an Italian father, finished with 16 points.
Capacio said that joining the preseason tournament was a plus for a team as he vowed to be ready in time for the January 14 opener of the third season of the league.
“Ang advantage sa amin ngayon is may idea na kami sa mga kalaban namin,” Capacio said.
Of course, the other teams will also have that same advantage.
Aside from the Beermen, the Singapore Slingers, expansion Saigon Heat, Indonesia Warriors and a Thailand selection squad that will most likely composed the Chang Thailand Slammers and Bangkok Cobras saw action in the preseason joust.
“We have to prepare better dahil magiging competitive talaga ang mga teams,” Capacio said.
Noli Eala, San Miguel Corporation Director of Sports and Special Assistant to the Office of the President, also noted the competitiveness of the ABL in the coming season.
“Alam namin na nagpalakas talaga ang ABL. This is a growing league and this is what excites San Miguel,” said Eala in a previous interview.
Source: Reuben Terrado, Interaktv
