HOOPS

Import-less Bay Area strikes back in Game 4

DAILY TRIBUNE

Playing with nothing to lose, the all-local Bay Area squad came out with a more spirited performance just when the chips were falling down.

The Dragons breathed fire sans import Andrew Nicholson as Kobey Lam, Glenn Yang and Zhu Songwei put together an inspired show in Game 4 of their PBA Commissioner's Cup best-of-seven championship series against Barangay Ginebra to score a stunning 94-86 triumph on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Bay Area watched Ginebra players Scottie Thompson and import Justin Brownlee harvesting the individual awards prior to tip off, but the Dragons were business as usual and showed up with only one thing in mind — win.

Lam scored 30 points anchored on a sweet 8-of-14 shooting from the arc while Yang and Songwei added 18 markers each for Dragons, who tied the series to 2-2.

Game 5 is on Sunday.

Bay Area came back from a 38-46 deficit at the half with a scorching 22-15 blast in the third quarter that turned the tables around.

The Dragons opened an 89-76 gap in the fourth period courtesy of a buzzer-beating trey from Hayden Blankley.

Brownlee finished with a triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in a losing cause for the Gin Kings.