Zamboanga Valientes win two straight to stay in ABL semis hunt

MANILA, Philippines – The Zamboanga Valientes MLV scored back-to-back crucial triumphs to keep their semifinal hopes alive in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Invitational 2023 fourth leg at the Nguyen Du Indoor Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Wednesday.

Led by new recruit Renaldo Balkman, the Valientes cruised to an 83-69 win over Louvre Surabaya last February 13 then edged Hong Kong Eastern, 71-65, on Valentine’s Day to improve their win-loss record to 7-6.

Balkman exploded for 28 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out six assists in his debut against Surabaya. Meanwhile, he posted 27 points, 14 rebounds and four steals against HK Eastern to give the Valientes the much-needed lift in their quest for a semis slot.

Former NBA champion and Miami Heat starting playmaker Mario Chalmers, who rested for one game against Surabaya, returned with 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals against Hong Kong.

“We are very happy that we got the services of Renaldo Balkman. The timing of his arrival is great and we really need him,” Zamboanga Valientes MLV co-owner Junnie Navarro said. “Everybody is fired up with Balkman. He provided us the energy in those two games.”

The Valientes, also co-owned by Michael Venezuela of MLV and supported by Go for Gold’s Jeremy Go, have turned into one of the popular squads among the eight teams in the tournament for their top-caliber imports and exciting brand of play.

“Most basketball fans especially our fellow Filipinos are very happy every time the Valientes play in the four circuits,” Navarro added.

The Valientes will face Singapore Slingers next on Thursday night at the same venue.

The squad will also see action in the VisMin Open Cup Championship on February 21-25.