Defending champion Pampanga and former titlist San Juan sustained their hot runs by pulling off contrasting wins in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season on Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Pampanga Giant Lanterns outran and outgunned the Manila SV Batang Sampaloc Stars, 92-63, to remain on top while the San Juan Knights rallied to subdue the South Cotabato Warriors, 88-79, and tighten their grip on the second spot in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 29-team tournament.
Earlier, Mindoro subdued Bacolod, 114-103, to improve to 8-16.
Pampanga chalked its 23rd straight victory after an initial loss while San Juan notched its 13th straight and climbed to 22-1. They pulled away from Nueva Ecija and Quezon Province, both with 18-3 slates, in the overall standings.
Trailing, 42-54, early in the third quarter, the Knights knotted the count at 61 following back-to-back triples by Agem Miranda.
Orlan Wamar sparked that San Juan comeback with 11 straight points against a bucket by Marwin Dionisio, 55-56, en route to clinching the Daily Fantasy best player honors.
San Juan, the 2019 MPBL champion, took control with a closing 9-point run in the third quarter, 70-63, and sealed South Cotabato’s 10th loss in 25 starts with an 8-point cluster, 88-75, at the 1 minute and 32 seconds mark.
Wamar wound up with 23 points, including 4 triples, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, AC Soberano with 19 points, Dexter Maiquez with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Miranda with 10 points and 5 assists.
South Cotabato got 11 points from Dionisio and 10 from JP Calvo.
Unlike San Juan, Pampanga was in command throughout.
Powered by Archie Concepcion, Encho Serrano and Justine Baltazar, Pampanga led by as far as 92-60 in pulling Manila down to 16-8.
