Capacio hopes to turn Patriots into ABL title contenders

AirAsia Philippine Patriots coach Glenn Capacio remained optimistic of their chances in the ASEAN Basketball League’s third season despite falling in their bid to rule the To Be Number One Basketball Challenge in Bangkok, Thailand. The Patriots, in an all-Filipino title clash, dropped an 84-76 loss against the San Miguel Beermen in the finals of the fundraising tournament. The Beermen outplayed the Patriots in the payoff period and Capacio took the loss graciously. "They (San Miguel) deserved to win. They prepared long for this tournament while we have only one month. We are still far away from playing as a team." But Capacio vowed to turn the Patriots to be a contender again when the ABL opens on January 14. "Our advantage is that we already have an idea of how our opponents play in the coming season. But we still have to prepare better since all teams will be competitive," Capacio said. San Miguel import Richard Jeter scored five points in a 7-0 spurt as the Beermen pulled away in the first two minutes of the payoff period. The Patriots defeated host team Thailand Slammers, 67-54, in the semifinals, while the Beermen outlasted the Singapore Slingers, 79-69. — JVP/KG, GMA News