Beermen lean on Avenido’s clutch three-pointers in bashing Slammers

Leo Avenido came up with two clutch three-point plays in crunchtime to help lift the San Miguel Beermen to a pulsating, 68-59 win over the Chang Thailand Slammers in the 3rd AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League at the Thai Japanese Association gym in Bangkok.

Avenido scored six of his 14 points in the payoff period, his first three-point play putting SMB ahead at, 59-58 with 5:04 left, and his second stretching their lead to, 64-54 with 3:02 to go, as the Beermen stormed to their second straight win for 2-1 overall.

Import Darlon Johnson soared high for the Beermen, scattering 21 markers, including 10 in a 13-2 second-quarter windup that enabled SMB to overhaul the Slammers’ 30-20 edge and enter the break ahead by a solitary point.

Johnson, who accounted for three of the Beermen’s eight triples, also grabbed eight rebounds and swatted away two of the Slammers’ shots as SMB joined idle AirAsia Phl Patriots at third (2-1) behind unbeaten Westports Malaysia Dragons (3-0) and Singapore Slingers (3-1).

Doug Thomson, playing his second game for SMB, finished with only 10 points and two rebounds but made significant contributions in other areas and capped off his effort with a slam at the 1:06 mark that sealed it for the Beermen.

Imports Kenneth Walker (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Deandre Thomas (15 markers, seven boards), complemented by Filipino import Chester Tolomia (11 points), led the way for the slumping Slammers, who have lost their last three assignments after hurdling their maiden game this season.

BOX SCORES

San Miguel 68 – Johnson 21, Avenido 14, Thomson 10, Fernandez 9, Rizada 5, Fajardo 3, Baguion 3, Cabatu 3, Luanzon 0, Mangahas 0, Gonzales 0.

Slammers 59 – Walker 21, Thomas 15, Tolomia 11, Wattana 5, Attaporn 4, Darongpan 3, Teerayat 0, Supachai 0, Mana 0, Ramsey 0.

Quarterscores: 15-19, 33-32, 51-48, 68-59.