ABL: Playoff-bound SMB aims to keep momentum going vs Saigon

League-leading San Miguel visits the Saigon Heat on Wednesday with the Beermen aiming to end the elimination round on a winning note in the 3rd ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) at the Tan Bihn Stadium in Vietnam. San Miguel, leading the eight-team field with a 16-4 record and seeking a seventh straight win, holds the homecourt court advantage in the semifinals against either the Malaysian Dragons or the Indonesia Warriors. "We are not putting our guard down even against Saigon. As I've said before, any team can beat any team in the ABL on a given night. Plus, we want to be in a playoff mindset in time for the semis," said coach Bobby Parks. Interestingly, San Miguel's winning run came after a 66-63 loss to the Heat (7-12) last March 24. Jarrid Famous and Dalron Johnson are the imports of the Beermen back then. The Beermen, after replacing Famous and Johnson with former PBA reinforcements Nick Fazekas and Duke Crews along with Chris Banchero, won six straight.   Fazekas and Banchero led SMB to its recent win, a 91-77 decision over the Bangkok Cobras. The former Petron import tallied 25 points and 15 rebounds while the Filipino-American guard finished with 22 markers, four assists and seven steals. Imports Jonathan Jones and Jahmar Thorpe will join hands with Filipino reinforcement Robert Sanz, who combined for 71 points in Saigon’s 77-69 triumph over the Cobras last week. — JVP, GMA News