Home 
AMERICAN reinforcement Anthony Johnson announced his comeback to the Philippine Patriots squad with a bang as he scored eight of his 13 points in the final three minutes of the game to lift the team to a, 54-48 win over the Chang Thailand Slammers in the ASEAN Basketball League Season 2 last Saturday at the Nimibutr National Stadium in Thailand.
Johnson's heroics coming from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the Patriots' last two games, allowed the squad to grab their fourth straight win and the solo lead in the standings. Trailing 42-43 with 3:36 left, Johnson buried a triple to spark a decisive 12-5 run as the Patriots dealt Thailand its first defeat in four outings.
After Johnson hit that trey, Egay Billones, the hero in the team?s 72-67 overtime win over the Brunei Barracudas last week, extended the margin to, 47-43 with a jumper. The Thais moved within two, 47-45, on Filipino Eric Canlas? hit, but Johnson knocked in four consecutive points to quell the Thais? comeback and give team owners Harbour Centre boss Mikee Romero and businessman Tony Boy Cojuangco a second straight road game win.
Johnson, who incurred his injury during their 71-62 win over the Brunei Barracudas three weeks ago, finished with 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting along with five rebounds in 30 minutes of action. The 6-foot-11 Donald Little, the Patriot?s other import, topscored with 14 points while adding seven rebounds, three assists and five blocks while Billones finished with 10 markers.
Jason Dixon, who like Baguion played against his former team for the first time, finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in 37 minutes while Sopon Pinipatcharalert had 13 points spiked by three triples in a losing cause. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio
