Johnson sizzles as PHL Patriots cool down Saigon Heat

Import Anthony Johnson came out firing in the second half as the AirAsia Philippine Patriots beat the Saigon Heat, 75-59, in the To Be Number One Basketball Challenge Friday night at the Nimibutr National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The 6-foot-6 Johnson scattered 24 of his 26 points in the second half as the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Season 1 Patriots win their opening game in the preseason tournament that will benefit the victims of the massive flood that hit the Thai capital last October. Johnson, who struggled with his offensive game in the first two quarters, was just unstoppable in the last two quarters. His second-half scoring outburst allowed the Patriots to overcome a slow start and a 29-27 halftime deficit. The Patriots were playing the Thailand Slammers as of posting time on Saturday for a berth on Sunday’s finals in the four-day tournament. Patriots coach Glenn Capacio, despite the lopsided win, was hardly satisfied. "It is still obvious that we haven’t found our chemistry. Hopefully we can perform better against Thailand because we can't afford to relax." Nakiea Miller, the Patriots’ other import standing at 6-foot-10, posted double-double numbers tallying 15 points and 17 rebounds while Rob Wainwright and Jonathan Fernandez combined for 17 markers. The Heat, thanks to former NBA cager Julius Hodge and Jonathan Jones, even took a 29-23 lead in the second period but Johnson went to work in the third. "We played more fluidly in the second half and we were able to run because of our defense," said Capacio. Hodge paced the Vietnam-based squad with 31 points and 11 rebounds. — JVP, GMA News Scores: