By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipino Asian import Rhenz Abando got the better of his ‘kuyas’ after Korean Basketball League (KBL) club Anyang KGC handed the San Miguel Beermen a demolition exhibition in the ongoing East Asia Super League (EASL) Champions Week last March 4, 2023, held at the Okinawa Arena.
Abando & Anyang dominated the Beermen on both ends of the floor en route to a 142-87 victory to finish Group A with an undefeated 2-0 record.
Former NBA big man Omari Spellman proved to be too much against the PBA Philippine Cup champions as the bruising center dropped 53 points alongside 13 rebounds.
There was nothing that San Miguel could do once Spellman was set for a high-low post-play and just bulldozed his way against Cameron Clark and the Beermen big men.
Backstopping Spellman was no other than Abando who finished with 22 points built from 9/15 shooting from the field.
The former member of the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team also made EASL’s highlight reels after a couple of acrobatic layups that wowed the crowd in Okinawa.
Aside from his offensive clinic, Abando also helped in the team’s efficient defensive sets and locked down San Miguel’s perimeter offense.
Byeon Junhyeong contributed 18 points for Anyang after draining three shots from the three-point line while Darryl Monroe had a triple-double outing of 15 points, 17 boards, and 14 dimes.
Meanwhile, Cameron Clark led the Beermen with 35 points and 10 rebounds while CJ Perez added 26 markers and seven rebounds.
The Beermen entered their matchup against Anyang without the services of PBA’s only six-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, and Terrence Romeo.
San Miguel succumbed to its second-straight loss in the EASL tourney after falling at the hands of Carl Tamayo’s Ryukyu Golden Kings in their debut, 96-68.
