Justine Baltazar shattered the rebound record as the Pampanga Giant Lanterns thwarted the Bataan Risers, 74-72, on Tuesday and remained unbeaten in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga.
The 6-foot-9 Baltazar snagged 27 rebounds, including 13 offensively, to eclipse the 26 boards he jointly held with JR Taganas and play a pivotal role in Pampanga’s 10th straight win in the single round-robin elimination round of the 29-team tournament. In other games, the Pasay Voyagers repelled the Manila Stars, 77-70, while the Makati OKBet Kings routed the Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc., 86-60.
Baltazar, the league’s leading scorer (19.4) and rebounder (17.6), scored 13 points, issued 7 assists and rejected 2 shots for Pampanga, which trailed only defending champion Nueva Ecija (11-0) in the standings.
Jayson Castro Apolonio supported Baltazar, a former Gilas Pilipinas member, with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals and so did Archie Concepcion with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Taking charge from the get-go, Makati surged beyond reach at 72-42 before coasting to its 7th win against 4 losses.
Robby Celiz led Makati with 15 points, followed by Billy Robles and Marco Sario with 14 each, and Matthew Daves with 11.
Valenzuela, which skidded to 1-11, got 11 points from Mchael Angelo Macion and Allan Richard Martin and 10 from Luis Tapenio.
