MPBL: San Juan downs Batangas; Bataan stuns Imus in MPBL

MANILA, Philippines — 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 four rebounds to clinch Best Player honors over Maiquez, who posted 18 points and four rebounds; and Michael Calisaan with 15 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two assists. Veteran Reynel Hugnatan contributed nine points and five rebounds for the Knights.

Batangas got 12 points, four rebounds and four assists from Jong Baloria; 11 points, four rebounds and three steals from Levi Hernandez; 10 points, six rebounds and three assists from Kenneth Ighalo; and eight 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-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 two assists; Jamil Gabawan with nine points, nine rebounds and three assists; and Yves Sazon with nine points that made him the MPBL's second 2,000-point man after Nueva Ecija's John Wilson, who added five assists and three rebounds.

Imus lost despite Jhon Jerrick Caspe's 23-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist, two-block effort; Kint Ariar's 10-point, 11-rebound output; Mark Anthony Doligon's 14 points and four rebounds; and Jaypee Belencion's 13 points and four boards.      

The league returns to the Paco Arena in Manila on Friday, April 11, with a triple-header pitting Muntinlupa against Bacolod at 4 p.m., Basilan against Abra at 6 p.m., and Bulacan against Pasig at 8 p.m.