The Zamboanga Valientes secured their second victory in The Asian Tournament’s opening leg after a hard-fought battle against the Pola Pilipinas RPG, with a final score of 98-88. The game, which took place in Guangdong, China, saw Zamboanga guard Franky Johnson shine with 22 points, including five 3-pointers, in just 24 minutes off the bench.
Malick Diouf delivered an impressive performance with 16 points and a whopping 20 rebounds, while Nick Evans contributed 15 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks. The Valientes dominated the game with a 32-point lead, 80-48, heading into the fourth quarter.
Despite a strong comeback attempt by the Pola Pilipinas RPG team, which narrowed the gap to 10 points at 90-80 with less than two minutes remaining, Zamboanga managed to secure the win. Diouf and Evans sealed the deal with a mini 5-0 run, pushing the Valientes ahead 95-80 with just 45 seconds left on the clock.
After the game, Johnson expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “I’m glad that we are the Filipino team that came out on top.” He emphasized the importance of learning from the experience and continuing to improve as they prepare for future legs of the tournament.
With this victory, Zamboanga improved to a 2-2 record for the season, while Pola suffered their fourth consecutive loss. The Valientes are set to face the East Asia Pirates on Thursday at 4 p.m.
