ABL: Saigon Heat survive San Miguel Beermen OT try

Gabe Freeman missed a game-tying triple, allowing the Saigon Heat to pull out a victory against the San Miguel Beermen, 92-89, in the Asian Basketball League, Saturday, at the Tan Binh Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The victory put the Heat at a league-high 3-1 in the standings, while the Beermen were unable to pull off the win presumably due to rust. Their last game had been their season opener, back in January 11, which they won. As a result, they now have a 1-1 card. [Related: San Miguel Beermen get revenge on Indonesia Warriors] Dior Lowhorn and David Palmer were unstoppable for the Heat, sizzling with 27 and 26 points, respectively, and hauled down 12 rebounds apiece. Filipino Jai Reyes torched his countrymen,  firing in 22 points and dishing four assists. Despite the loss San Miguel showed better teamwork and tallied more assists, tallying a 20-13 margin. The Beermen also controlled the glass, 49-38, including a 21-13 advantage on the offensive end. Three-point shooting aided the Heat in the game, draining 9-of-26 tries from beyond the arc (34.6 percent) including seven by Palmer and Reyes. On the other hand, San Miguel made only 5-of-21 attempted treys (23.8 percent). Gabriel Freeman led the Beermen with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Brian Williams added 14 points and 16 boards. Eric Menk and Val Acuna each tallied 12 points, and veteran slotman Ali Peek offered 10 markers. The game is actually the first in a home-and-away series between the two sides, with the rematch on Philippine soil slated for Friday, at the Ynares Sports Arena. - Job B. De Leon / AMD, GMA News The scores: Saigon Heat 92 - Lowhorn 27, Palmer 26, Reyes 22, Morrison 9, Tieu 6, Dehesa 2 San Miguel Beermen 89 - Freeman 16, Williams 14, Acuna 12, Menk 12, Banchero 11, Taulava 10, Cawaling 8, Avenido 6 Quarter scoring: 23-20, 42-46, 62-68, 92-89