ABL: PHL Patriots' 4th-quarter blizzard ends Saigon Heat streak

The AirAsia Philippine Patriots nearly doubled up on the Saigon Heat's fourth quarter production, 23-12, coming out on top when the final buzzer sounded, 73-57, to end their opponent's three-game run.   Despite playing without their main import Anthony Johnson, as well as locals Ardy Larong and Erick Rodriguez due to a suspension incurred for brawling, the Patriots had all the firepower they needed to win down the stretch, led by Nakiea Miller's 21 points.   Up by five, 50-45, at the start of the final period, the Patriots dropped 10 unanswered points on their opponents, holding them without a make in the fourth for more than five and a half minutes. Saigon wouldn't even make a field goal until the 3:36 mark, and by then, the score was 64-49, firmly in the grasp of the Philippines.   Saigon actually hung well with their opponents over the first three quarters, behind the scoring prowess of their import Jonathan Jones. But in the final period, Jones had just two field goal attempts in the first five minutes of action and picked up three fouls, preventing him from having an impact late.   The unheralded Francis Adriano led the Patriots in scoring with 15 markers. Former FEU standout Aldrech Ramos added 11 in extended minutes, while Nakiea Miller posted a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds.   Saigon was led by the 28 points of Jonathan Jones, who finished with a game-best 28 points and 13 rebounds. Jahmar Thorpe added another double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds, but only three other players scored for the Heat, totaling 12 markers.   With the victory, the Patriots managed to stay a step ahead of the San Miguel Beermen, with a 9-2 card. SMB is breathing down their necks for the top seed in the standings, just a half-game behind at 9-3. The Heat on the other hand, fell to the bottom of the rankings with a 3-8 slate, failing to catch up with the Singapore Slingers and the Thailand Slammers.     The scores   RP PATRIOTS 73 -   Adriano 15, Ramos 11, Miller 10, Fernandez 9, Vergara 8, Ybanez 7, Wainwright 7, Saldua 2, Laure 2, Raymundo 2, Juntilla 0   SAIGON HEAT 57 - Jones 28, Thorpe 15, Javier 6, Smith 6, Sanz 2, Trieu 0, Pham 0, Nguyen 0   Quarter scoring: 19-15, 34-30, 50-45, 73-57 — Adrian Dy/RSJ, GMA News