MPBL: San Juan stays perfect; Manila, Pasay sustain win runs
San Juan has added another victim on Monday night to make its record a perfect 10 in the MPBL Lakan Season even as Manila and Pasay continued their streaks following their latest victories over their respective rivals at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The Go For Gold-backed Knights demolished the Cebu Sharks, 86-69, to stretch their winning streak to 10 and remained as the only unbeaten team in the tournament put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.
Ex-pros John Wilson and Mac Cardona presided in the offense of the Knights, who also drew solid games from Mike Ayonayon and Jhonard Clarito.
Wilson erupted for 23 points while Cardona contributed 16. Ayonayon, last season’s Finals MVP, added 12, while Jhonard Clarito added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Knights, whose 10-0 record is the best ever start in the history of the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league.
Also sustaining their winning runs were Manila and Pasay, which hurdled their respective rivals in similar hard-earned victories.
The Stars of Manila were pushed to the limit by the Valenzuela Classic before the former pulled off a tough 71-66 triumph.
It was the seventh straight win for the Frontrow-backed Stars, who improved their win-loss record to 9-1 and kept a hold of the solo second spot of the northern division of this tournament.
Pasay outlasted Rizal, 74-69, in the main game as the Voyagers picked up their third consecutive win and improved their win-loss record to 6-5. The Voyagers were led by Axel Inigo, who hit 26 points, including a steady 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
Two players also ended up with a double-double performance for the Voyagers.
Dhon Reverente came away with yet another double-double performance of 11 points and 13 rebounds while Raymond Ilagan had 10 points and 11 boards for the Voyagers. Jan Jamon contributed nine, including a crucial drive to the basket in the last 24 seconds that potentially secured the win for Pasay, which moved up in a tie for sixth to seventh places with the Bulacan Kuyas in the tough northern division.
