Asean Basketball League: Hong Kong Eastern ‘must show character’ in title decider with Saigon Heat
- ‘I do not think they can repeat this kind of shooting,’ Eastern coach Zeljko Pavlicevic says after Evan Gilyard Jnr scores 41 points to help Heat win game two
- But he admits Eastern must defend better in Tuesday’s third and final game if they are to claim their second ABL crown
Hong Kong Eastern head coach Zeljko Pavlicevic has challenged his players to show character and defend better if they are to clinch the Asean Basketball League championship at the second attempt on Tuesday.
Starting forward Tonny Trocha-Morelos added that they must play as a team and “stop trying to be heroes” after Eastern missed their first opportunity to seal the title on Sunday night.
Eastern fell to an 88-70 loss to Saigon Heat in game two at Ho Chi Minh City’s Nguyen Du Stadium, after winning by 16 points at the same venue in the opening game of the best-of-three finals series.
It means the two teams will face a decider at the 2,100-seat arena on Tuesday night to determine the champions. They are even this season, having also won once apiece in their meetings during the regular campaign; now it is winners-take-all.
Saigon had finished first in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) league table, with the second-best attack, while Eastern were second, with the best defence. That rearguard failed to contain Evan Gilyard Jnr on Sunday, however.