Your Daily Dose: 8 Singapore Slingers snapshots

Just because the sports world has stopped doesn't mean your sports consumption has to. In this Daily Dose series, Neo Yee Pung looks at Singapore Slingers snapshots in their Asean Basketball League exploits.

Left: The Singapore Slingers' Xavier Alexander proving a real handful for the Mono Vampire defence at the OCBC Arena on March 24, 2019. He scored 26 points to become the ABL's all-time leading scorer with 2,062 points. Above: The Slingers' Anthony Mc
The Singapore Slingers’ Xavier Alexander proving a real handful for the Mono Vampire defence at the OCBC Arena on March 24, 2019. He scored 26 points to become the ABL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,062 points. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Left: The Singapore Slingers' Xavier Alexander proving a real handful for the Mono Vampire defence at the OCBC Arena on March 24, 2019. He scored 26 points to become the ABL's all-time leading scorer with 2,062 points. Above: The Slingers' Anthony Mc
The Slingers’ Anthony McClain scored 14 points against the Dragons in Kuala Lumpur two months ago in spite of playing with an injured foot. PHOTO: ASEAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1. WONG WEI LONG IN THE CLUTCH, MARCH 20, 2016

With 0.1 of a second left on the clock, it was not world import Justin Howard who took the game-deciding shot despite having 31 points that night.

It was two-time local ABL Most Valuable Player Wong Wei Long who shot the ball from the elbow to seal the 75-73 win for the Slingers against the Malaysia Dragons in Game 4 of the 2015-16 ABL Finals at the OCBC Arena.

"I felt confident on my last shot, when it left my hand, I felt so comfortable, I thought, 'Oh man, we're going to Game 5'," said the point guard after forcing the best-of-five series to be extended.

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2. ANTHONY MCCLAIN'S TIP-IN FOR THE WIN, FEB 16, 2020

Despite struggling with a foot injury, centre Anthony McClain was the hero for the Slingers as the 2.14m American managed to tip in a missed free throw from Xavier Alexander with just 0.9 of a second left against the Kuala Lumpur Dragons at the Maba Stadium.

Slingers coach Neo Beng Siang said after the 88-87 win: "Even though he is injured, Biggie (McClain) is mentally strong and told us he can manage. He showed at the end how much he wanted it."

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3. DELVIN GOH'S AND-ONE SLAM, FEB 16, 2020

Off a pass from Marcus Elliot, Goh dunked over Dragons guard Chin Cheng Wah despite being fouled.

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4. CAREER NIGHT FOR LEON KWEK, FEB 9, 2020

The 23-year-old Singaporean recorded 26 points - including seven out of nine shots beyond the arc - against title contenders Taipei Fubon Braves.

The game-high performance in the 106-99 home win was also the best haul of his five-year Slingers career.

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5. JERRAN YOUNG A ONE-MAN SWAT SQUAD, MAY 8, 2019

In Game 3 of the 2018-19 ABL Finals in Surabaya, Slingers forward Jerran Young trailed CLS Knights' Brandon Jawato before pinning the ball onto the backboard.

Knights guard Doug Herring Jr then found himself a victim of another chase-down block by Young.

Young was vital on both ends of the floor, notching 16 points in this 63-60 victory.

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6. XAVIER ALEXANDER ANOINTED ABL KING, MARCH 24, 2019

With 2,062 points in his five-year career as a Slinger, Alexander became the all-time ABL leading scorer, overtaking former teammate Justin Howard.

The 31-year-old scored 26 points against Mono Vampire in the 100-88 home win to achieve this feat.

"It comes from hard work, being looked over for most of my career and it's something that I worked hard for," said Alexander.

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7. SLINGERS SET RECORD AGAINST CAUSEWAY RIVALS, NOV 23, 2018

One of the best days in the Slingers' history is their 54-point win over the Dragons in the 2018-19 season.

The Malaysian team managed to score their first field goal only after nearly seven minutes of play, with the hosts leading 29-7 after the first quarter.

The Slingers went on to crush their Causeway rivals 101-47 to record the largest margin of victory in ABL history.

What made this result even more special for the Slingers was that every player on the roster managed to get minutes and score.

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8. KRIS ROSALES FORCES OVERTIME, JAN 10, 2016

Filipino-American point guard Kris Rosales received the ball from Wu Qingde, faked a three before dribbling in between two Pilipinas MX3 Kings defenders and draining a jumper to send the game into overtime. The Slingers eventually won 63-57 at home.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 29, 2020, with the headline Your Daily Dose: 8 Singapore Slingers snapshots . Subscribe