Westports KL Dragons VS Chang Thailand Slammers 77 -57. Yet another home win !!

Westport KL Dragons managed yet another home win tonight. The Thailand Slammers were the latest victim. We are just so tough at home by losing just one. Hopefully this form will carry on to the away game. The Dragons nailed a 20 points win against the current league leader, 77-57.  The team started off shaky but managed to hold it back and never look back since then. It wasnt the most interesting game really. I'm glad that we win. Chris Kuete returns to the MABA as a Slammer does really alter the fact that MABA stadium is one of the toughest away game to be for the opponent.

 Lets hope that the winning strike will continue and we will manage to score the second seat in the league. Thus, entitle us home ground advantage during the playoff.

 With Rudy, a crowd favourite Pinoy import. He is giving his 100% every game. No doubt on his dedication, his work rate. Down to earth. While, I just realized that Patrik Cabahug not only a pure shooter but this dude has got some trash talking skill on the court too. Good on you man !!

Westports KL Dragons VS Air Asia Philippine Patriots - 96 VS 81

 The Dragons started off the game like a fire cracker, the boys were making nearly every baskets and force the visiting Air Asia Philippine Patriots to call for their first time out at 10-2. Our Pinoy import, Patrick Cabahug is a pure shooter he was hitting three points and fade away jump shots like nobody business. I must say I truly admire his down to earth on court performance. He never seems to get carry away and shows 100% professionalism. Patrick is now the most reliable points contributing machine in the team.

 When you are playing against a Pinoy side. You can almost certain that things on court will get physical. Few incidents occurred and thing turned ugly when a water bottle was thrown at one of the Patriots player from the fan. The Philippines take basketball as their pride. Their commitment on the game are undoubted.  The KL team were leading ever since the game tip-off. But the Patriots never gave up. Full court press from the Pinoy forced a lot of unwanted mistakes by the KL sides. The Dragons were even having the difficulty to move forward with the ball to half court. The strategy proved spot on for the Philippines as they started to cut off the gap. An instant time out from coach Goh brought on Rudy and the Dragons were on the court again with double points guards. This ensure smoother flow of  the Dragons force and yes !!!!!!!!!!

 

We managed to nail the game @ 96 to 81. Well done, KL Dragons. More consistence plays like these will ensure us a spot in the play off and the chance is bright that we might even push for the champion trophy this year.

Nakiea Miller, You are a beast in the paint @ KL Dragons 85 - Satria Muda Britama 72

Westports KL Dragons was having their last encounter of the regular season with Indonesia Satria Muda Britama last night. This was an ESPN live broadcast match. The whole MABA stadium was equipped with heavy media broadcasting equipment. Both our American imports, Nakiea Miller & Alex Hartman were with SMB last season. So it will be interesting to see how the Indonesian team cope with them. Both the imports started off pretty shaky, with Hartman losing his three points magic. And the Dragons end the first half with points behind.

 However, talks from Coach Goh in the rest room certainly does work well. The dragons fought back with Rudy's inspiration and Nakaie Miller managed to find his touch and finish off with a double-double. 31 points and 28 rebounds. KL Dragons secured the final score with 85-72. Kudos to the boys. It was a happy ending in the stadium with the fans leaving the court in a joyful atmosphere.

This ex-Sacramento Kings player, Nakiea Miller has certainly got some character. He seems to express himself pretty well on the court. Well, you can take this as a form of self-motivation and it does work well as he secured a double double stats. He was a beast in the paint nailing almost every rebounds. Which I reckon was crucial to our win last night. Keep it up yo !

Westports KL Dragons VS Brunei Barracudas - The 5 VS 1

I'm glad that Asean Basketball League(ABL) is burning hot into their second season. With its rather successful inaugural 2009/2010 season, the ABL is getting a lot more attention from not only the fans but the sponsors too. Datuk Tony Fernandes is the man behind the ABL masterpiece and his Airline is now the official sponsor of the league. Our KL Dragons is now known as Westports KL Dragons, a name change for good as they are getting more financial injection into the team. It is the financial boost that brought us two great imports, ex-Sacremento Kings Nakiea Miller and Alex Hartman.

We managed to seal off the match against Brunei Barracudas with 87-48. The Barracudas called off the match with only one player left in the court during the 4th quarter. While the rest six were foul out. The Bruneian begun the match with only 7 players as the rest were caught with eye infection. The Dragons start off the match strong with players hitting on 3 points. Soon there was no turning back from the our boys and the match was left time dragging to us, the fans. Perhaps a little more professionalism is required from some of our players. Fair enough that we are leading, there is still commitment required to finish off the game. You guys are not great enough to take any professional game lightly. Commitment and attitude are the key elements if you dare enough to call yourself a professional player playing in a professional league. Chen Li Wei, I had been reserving my judgment on his play all this while. He has been know to make countless mistake by some of the fans. But to me it wasn't his mistake that frustrating me, it was his level of professionalism that got me questioning. He seems to be on his sleeping mode during his very limited playing time today.  Lets not forget that,  us the fans are indirectly paying some part of your salary too. We deserve 100% from you as much as your coach who scream his heart out. So does some of your team mates who always giving their best. Li Wei, they deserve your support as well. Please play your part.

My highlight of the night, the cheering ladies. At least they have a better bunch of cheerleaders this season. Much more eye-catching outfit, energetic enough to rock the court.

The match was left with controversial with the Brunei fans claiming for a rematch on Facebook. They believe that the game should have been postponed due to the lack of players. Brunei fans also claimed that this is a Malaysian owned league and the owner wanted favour towards KL team. What a mess ehh...God Bless Air Asia ABL.

Three Straight Wins for KL Dragons

 

I was glad to know that KL Dragons had strike three straight wins. Earlier on they managed to beat the top two teams of the Asean Basketball League(ABL) namely Philippine Patriots and Singapore Slingers. Today the Dragons succeeded another win against the Indonesian Satria Muda Britama with a tight score line 70 – 67 in Jakarta. Standing at the bottom spot of the six teams league two week ago. KL Dragons realized how much extra effort they need to secure themselves at least a position in the four teams playoff.   

 

Coach Goh must have convinced his players not to give up and to stay fingers crossed. Some beautiful display from both locals and import players, secured us three important wins. These keep the Dragons playoff hopes alive. We are now on the fourth position, the final spot of the playoff. Our chance very much depends on the final game between Brunie Barracudas against the Pinoy Patriots tomorrow. Hopefully the Patriots will keep their pride as a leading team of the league by surpassing the Brunei and bring us into the playoff.

 

I must says that none of the six ABL teams are superiorly dominating the league. In fact, the games have been competitive enough with every team is having the chance to keep the last smile. No doubt that the Philippines are doing excellent in the sports that they have been dominating in this region. The Philippinos are playing as import players for almost every team in the league.  Hopefully there will be more and more local Asean basketball players playing as import for each other teams in the future. The concept of ABL itself is a healthy one for the basketball scene in this region which previously lack of competitive platform of such kind. I wish the ABL will grow from strength to strength for many years to come. So does our KL Dragons.

 

Kudos to Jamal Brown with the leading statistics of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Fingers crossed and we going to be in the playoff.

KL Dragons VS Satria Muda Britama

  

Yet again another bad start. The KL dragons lost for the seventh time this season. Leaving the crowds as the disappointed group in the stadium. The Dragons were no longer in the comfort zone now. Extra effort needed to gain a spot in the playoff.

  

It was a game against the Indonesian Britama Satria Muda. A much more established and experience professional side than the dragons. It was indeed my honor to witness the encounter between the best point guards of the two neighboring nations. Guganeswaran(Ah Bi) against Mario Wuysang. Ah Bi the best of Malaysia used to play university level basketball in CUBA china. Mario Wuysang was a highschool basketball player in united state.

A Youtube Clip on Mario Wuysang's Highschool Match 

  

Lets not give up. The whole nation is behind the team. Lets go Dragons ! Lets go !  

(ABL) KL Dragons 88 - Thailand Tigers 69 / (Sea Game Laos 09) Malaysia 2 - Thailand 1

What a great week for Malaysian sports indeed !!

The atmosphere was electrifying in the MABA stadium Aka the KL Dragons Den. It was the Dragons against the Thailand Tigers, fourth home game of the inaugural  Asean Basketball League (ABL). Malaysian football team had defeated the defending champion, Thailand 2-1, some two days ago in Laos Sea Games 2009. I was hoping the same tonight in the Dragons Den. Thailand has always been a dominant force in sports of Asean region.

It was great to witness that the Malaysian basketball has finally break the chinese dominant cycle. Basketball is no longer a one race sports any more. I noticed a lot of non-chinese join in to watch the match, to shout for the team. It was brilliant to see the whole Malaysia under one roof and with only one goal. This is the true spirit of 1 Malaysia.

Chen Li Wei, Dragons Center/Forward doing the interview during pre match. I'm amazed with the dedication and effort that has been drawn into the marketing of the game itself. Brilliant pre match event, which almost like a carnival. We have rappers performance, KL drum squad, the not so sexy cheerleaders, our national anthem by Fly FM DJ, Hunny Madu plus not forgetting our KL Dragons Fans Club which is a huge success. It maybe commercialize. But that is the trend of current sports industry. I will say the more commercialize your are, the more attention you get.  Well planned marketing bring us almost 2000 full house fans each home games. The club merchandises are selling hot too. Those are the phenomena that our Malaysia football "professional" league can only dream of. I sincerely hope for many years to come with the KL Dragons & Asean Basketball League.

 

This was my second attendance out of the four home matches. The previous one was against the pinoy. Which i reckoned the Dragons played brilliantly but their effort does not paid off. They lost to the Philippines Patriots by slight margin. I prayed for a return tonight.

 

The KL Dragons fielded Jamal Brown, Kok Way Tek, Chai Chze Hian, Chris Kuete, B. Guganeswaran as the starting five.

 

I'm happy to see coach Goh playing Chze Hian, a fellow Sarawakian from a basketball family in Kuching. He was not getting even a second during the last home game against the Philippines. Tonight, he contributed points & assists. He has done his part well against the Tigers.

 

The dragons do not have the best start as usual. The Tigers were leading 7 - 0. Then, Jamal Brown started to hit in jump shot and penetrating the paint. Conquering both offensive & defensive rebound. The dragons managed to move on the right track. When non-shooter like Li Wei is hitting three-pointer, you know that tonight will be a good night for the team & the fans. The Dragons show massive confidence through the court. We continue our lead with no turning back. 88 - 69 was the final score. A margin of nearly 20 points. Keep it up, KL Dragons. We need to start hitting back to back wins.

 

And my pick on man of the match.  I reckoned Chris Kuete yet again. This dude was showing some sick moves as usual. He should be leading the team scoring chart too. Decent.

 

Last but not least, kudos to our Malaysian Football team. This is a long awaited moment. Lets do the nation proud by winning the semifinal against Laos. Best of  luck.

Malaysia last won the football gold medal in the biennial SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1989.