THE pacesetting Pampanga Giant Lanterns extended their hot streak with an 83-75 conquest of the South Cotabato Warriors on Monday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season at the FilOil Ecooil Centre in San Juan.
Powered by reigning league MVP Justine Baltazar, the Giant Lanterns notched their 21st straight win after an opening 78-71 loss to Rizal last April 9 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.
Baltazar posted 21 points and 18 rebounds to earn his seventh Daily Fantasy best player honors for Pampanga, which pulled away to a 82-69 cushion to send South Cotabato down to 14-8.
Giant Lanterns step up
Other Giant Lanterns who shone were Archie Concepcion with 14 points, Rence Alcoriza with 13 points plus 4 steals and Jhaymo Eguilos with 11 points plus 9 rebounds.
South Cotabato drew 15 points and 10 rebounds from Kyle Tolentino, 13 points and 7 rebounds from Larry Rodriguez and 9 points plus 10 assists from Mark Cruz.
Earlier, the Negros Muscovados routed the Bulacan Kuyas, 83-64, to improve to 11-12.
Renz Palma flirted with a triple-double (22 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists) and four other Muscovados contributed double figures as Negros led by as far as 79-54 halfway through the fourth quarter.
Buenaventura Raflores also delivered with 13 points, 11 rebounds plus 3 assists, and so did Alvin John Capobres with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, Jose Piero Longa with 11 points, and Jan Formento with 10 points.
Bulacan, which tumbled to 2-21, got 11 points and 8 rebounds from John Cayno Carandang and 10 points from Kehn Osicos.
The MPBL returns to the Paco Arena on Tuesday with games pitting Bacolod against Rizal at 4 p.m., Caloocan against Binan at 6 p.m., and Abra against Quezon City at 8 p.m.
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