Baltazar posts triple-double as Pampanga stretches MPBL streak

MANILA, Philippines – The Pampanga Giant Lanterns extended their winning run while the Pasay Voyagers remained in orbit in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season on Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.

Powered by Justine Baltazar's triple-double and Archie Concepcion's hot hands, Pampanga dumped Quezon City Gaz N Go, 115-79, to raise its record to 9-0 in the elimination round of the two-division, 29-team tournament.

Baltazar posted 16 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists to run away with best player honors, while fellow homegrown icon Concepcion tallied 25 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Other players who delivered for Pampanga, which led by as many as 41 points (106-65) were Kurt Spencer Reyson with 18 points, four rebounds and four assists, and MJ Garcia with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Quezon City skidded to 3-9 despite the 31-point explosion of Reymond Penafiel.

Pasay, with six players pulling the trigger, pulled away by 21 points in the fourth quarter and proceeded to subdue the Paranaque Patriots, 98-79, for a 7-3 slate.

Dhon Reverente pooled 19 points, six rebounds and four assists for Pasay, which also drew 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists from former Perpetual Help star AJ Coronel, 12 points each from Laurenz Paul Victoria and Anton Inigo, and 11 each from Jaypee Belencion and Jeric Serrano.

Paranaque, now with a 6-6 mark, got 17 points from Pari Llagas, 16 from Jayboy Solis and 10 from Keith Pido.

Oriental Mindoro, with Sherwin Concepcion and Agem Miranda submitting double-doubles, pulled off an 80-78 squeaker over Manila in the opener to tie its victim at 2-9.

Concepcion notched 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Miranda chalked 22 points and 10 assists for the Disiplinados, who also got 14 points from Rodel Vaygan and 11 from CJ Tolentino.

Manila drew 16 points from Kyle Neypes, 15 each from Adrian Celada and Charles Lazarte, and 14 from Mark Acosta.

The MPBL returns to the Bataan People's Center in Balanga on Thursday with Valenzuela battling Caloocan at 4 p.m., Iloilo tangling with Marikina at 6 p.m. and Negros clashing with Bataan at 8 p.m.