Pacquiao’s triple-double lifts visitors past Calgary

Calgary, Canada—It’s triple-double for Manny Pacquiao this time.

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League wound up with  31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assist to lift Team Pacquiao past Team Casey Calgary, 116-99, on Friday, Dec. 27 (Saturday, Dec. 28 in Manila) in the MPBL Canada Invasion at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex here.

Unable to connect well from long distance (3 of 19), Pacquiao scored mostly on drives, hustled for loose balls, and found the open man in 34 minutes and 43 seconds of play to achieve the feat which outweighed his 35-point and 42-point outbursts during similar exhibition games during the MPBL Dubai Invasion in September.

Mark Yee and Cong. Bobby Pacquiao supported the eight-division world champion, who also had a steal and three turnovers to go with his first triple-double, with 20 points each.

Yee, who also played in the other exhibition game, added 14 rebounds and three assists as Team Pacquiao, mentored by Pampanga Giant Lanterns owner Cong. Dong Gonzales, and assisted by MPBL Deputy Commissioner Zaldy Realubit, led by as many as 89-70.

Other major contributors for Team Pacquiao were Chris Lalata with 11 points, including a pair of two-handed dunks, Christian Luazon and Jhaymo Eguilos with seven points each.

Completing Team Pacquiao, which played bereft of an organized practice, were MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, MPBL Operations Head Emmer Oreta, MPBL panelists Martin Antonio, Christian Luanzon and Rodney Santos, Michael Juico, Paolo Hubalde and actor Gerald Anderson.

Team Casey Calgary got 24 points from James Trinidad, 16 from Kelvin dela Pena, 13 from Anton Eusebio and 10 each from Omar Villaron, Terencer Crisostomo, Paul Gulfo and Brandon Tolentino.

In the opener of the three-game event showcasing MPBL’s brand of play in North America, the MP (Manny Pacquiao) All-Stars rallied to tie the Calgary Storm, 95-95.

Trailing, 64-83, the All-Stars, coaxed by coach Oreta, rallied through the efforts of Jeff Viernes and Yee.

It was Gab Banal, however, who drilled in the game-tying three-pointer following a play plotted by Oreta.

Yee led the All-Stars with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Viernes finished with 19 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

Chris Bitoon and Michael Juico contributed 10 points each while Banal accounted for eight points, five rebounds and three assists.