THE San Juan Knights banked on Orlan Wamar and Dexter Maiquez to subdue the Batangas City Tanduay Rhum Masters, 72-63, on Thursday and extend their hot streak in Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Wamar clustered eight points, spiked by back-to-back triples, while Maiquez also poured eight as they outscored the entire Rhum Masters, 16-15, in the fourth quarter and powered the Knights to their fifth straight win in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
San Juan, the 2019 MPBL champion, only trails Nueva Ecija (7-0) and is ahead of fellow unbeaten teams Muntinlupa (3-0) and Pasig (1-0), and reigning titlist Pampanga, Abra, Zamboanga, Rizal Province and Quezon Province, all with 5-1 slates, in the race for playoff slots.
Batangas stayed within sight, 61-67, but Wamar knocked in a triple and Maiquez hooked a shot with 49.9 seconds left to pull down the Rhum Masters, the MPBL inaugural titlist, to a 3-4 card.
Wamar wound up with 16 points, 10 assists and 4 rebounds to clinch best player honors over Maiquez, who posted 18 points and 4 rebounds, and Michael Calisaan with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists. Veteran Reynel Hugnatan contributed 9 points and 5 rebounds for the Knights.
Batangas got 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists from Jong Baloria, 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals from Levi Hernandez, 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists from Kenneth Ighalo, and 8 points, plus 13 rebounds from Dawn Ochea.
The Bataan Risers struck from afar and showed more cohesion in a 94-77 demolition of the Imus Braderhood in the opener.
With Dom Vera sinking five triples, Rhinwill Yambing three and Jeff Santos two, the Risers surged ahead, 38-18, and proceeded to snap a three-game slide and climb to 2-5.
The Risers pooled 14 triples from 32 tries against the Braderhood’s 3 out of 20, proving to be the big difference.
In addition, the Risers handed more assists, 31-18, to compound the Braderhood’s problems and pull them down to 4-3.
Vera posted 20 points, followed by John Lorenz Capulong with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists, Jamil Gabawan with 9 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, and Yves Sazon with 9 points that made him the MPBL’s second 2,000-point man after Nueva Ecija’s John Wilson, 5 assists and 3 rebounds.
Imus lost despite Jhon Jerrick Caspe’s 23-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist, 2-block effort; Kint Ariar’s 10-point, 11-rebound output; Mark Anthony Doligon’s 14 points and 4 rebounds; and Jaypee Belencion’s 13 points and 4 rebounds.
The MPBL returns to the Paco Arena in Manila on Friday, April 11, with a tripleheader pitting Muntinlupa against Bacolod at 4 p.m., Basilan against Abra at 6 p.m., and Bulacan against Pasig at 8 p.m.