Games Today
(Caloocan Sports Complex)
7 p.m. – Bulacan vs Laguna
9 p.m. – Caloocan vs Pampanga
BALANGA, Bataan – Visiting San Juan came and conquered Bataan by snapping the Risers’ 14-game winning run in the MPBL Datu Cup late Monday night at the People’s Center here.
The Knights, supported by Go-For-Gold, outlasted the Zetapro-backed Risers, 67-61, to give the host team its first loss at home and solify its hold of the second spot. San Juan’s win improved its win-loss record to 15-3 while closing in with the pacesetting squad Bataan, now holding a 14-2 win-loss card.
Ex-PBA player Larry Rodriguez came away with a double-double performance of 19 points and 13 rebounds, allowing the Knights to pick up their fifth straight win in the league put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.
Rodriguez’s solid presence inside allowed the Knights to lord it over in the battle of the boards. San Juan outrebounded its counterpart, 56-43.
But San Juan also did a great job shutting down the big guns of Bataan, which was held to a miserable 1-of-17 shooting from beyond the arc.
“Malaki itong panalo na ito kasi na-stop naming yung 14-game winning streak nila. Our game plan was to utilize our advantage sa big men kasi yun talaga ang bentahe namin sa kanila,” said San Juan coach Randy Alcantara, the man who was a part of the last San Juan Knights champion team that won the championship in the MBA in Year 2000.
