The Pampanga Giant Lanterns glowed anew at home as they trounced the Bacoor Strikers, 71-58, on Saturday in Game 1 of the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season National Finals at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Kurt Reyson returned to Pampanga’s fold and made an instant impact with 22 points to earn best player honors for the Giant Lanterns who only allowed Bacoor to score the first basket before taking control for good with an eight-point cluster.
Another 10-point bunch, capped by a triple each from John Lloyd Clemente, Justine Baltazar and Encho Serrano, with 40 seconds to go in the first quarter shoved Pampanga further ahead, 21-4, from which Bacoor couldn’t recover.
The Strikers came to within 33-38, early in the third quarter, but Reyson, star player of the Letran Knights in the NCAA, combined with Baltazar, Allen Liwag and Clemente to pad the lead to 52-37.
Baltazar, the runaway MVP pacesetter, posted 13 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 1 block in another solid performance.
Bacoor got 16 points and 5 rebounds from Jhaymo Eguilos and 17 points plus 4 rebounds and 2 steals from Jhan Nermal.
The game was halted for about 15 minutes with 28.2 seconds left in the third quarter after some overzealous fans threw plastic water bottles on the floor following a loose ball scramble that left Baltazar face down on the floor.
A disqualifying foul was slapped on Bacoor’s Lester Reyes and Baltazar split the two free throws awarded him for a 53-37 count after three quarters.
Gov. Dennis Pineda, also the head coach of the Giant Lanterns appealed to the crowd for self-restraint and the game proceeded with no more untoward incident.
Game 2 will be held at the same venue on Nov. 28, before swinging to the Strike Gymnasium in Bacoor City for Game 3 on Dec. 2. If necessary, Game 4 will also be staged in Bacoor on Dec. 5. San Fernando will again play host if the series goes the full route on Dec. 9.
