PETALING JAYA: Westports Malaysia Dragons put up a poor second quarter showing to slump to an 88-82 loss to Hi-Tech Bangkok City in the opening game of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) in Bangkok.
The youthful Dragons side started well, racing to a 20-13 lead.
The home side, however, were unfazed. With Chris Charles and Steve Thomas dominating the paint, Bangkok City surged ahead to a 37-27 lead at the end of the second quarter.
With pint-sized point guard Jerrick Canada in commanding form, Bangkok City opened up the game to further surge ahead 61-45.
The Dragons tried to stage a fightback in the final quarter with American imports Chris Eversley and Justin Knox leading the charge. But it proved too little too late as the hosts held firm for a well-deserved win.
Charles had 29 points and 13 rebounds for Bangkok City while Thomas contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double as well.
Eversley was the Dragons’ top scorer with 31 points.
The Malaysian side’s next match is against Singapore Slingers at the OCBC Arena in Singapore on July 27.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Subscribe now and receive FREE sooka plan for 1 month.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!