PAMPANGA overwhelmed Davao Occidental, 81-47, at home inside the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando on Wednesday to stretch its streak in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season.
Showing why they're the defending MPBL champion, the Giant Lanterns held the Tigers, the MPBL Lakan Season titlist, to just 17 points in the first half and led by as far as 79-41 in posting their 11th straight win after an initial loss in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.
Pampanga overtook San Juan (9-1) at the third spot, and now only trail Nueva Ecija and Quezon Province, both with 10-0 cards.
Double-double trouble
Lervin Flores, a former Gilas Pilipinas Men 3x3 player, delivered the goods for Pampanga with 15 points and 19 rebounds, followed by reigning MPBL MVP Justine Baltazar with his own 14-point, 10-rebound double-double on top of four assists and two blocks.
Other Giant Lanterns who shone were Encho Serrano with 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists; Archie Concepcion with 10 points and three rebounds, and Kurt Reyson with eight points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
With the 6-foot-5 Flores and 6-8 Baltazar crashing the boards, the home team grabbed 63 rebounds against the Tigers' 30, which they translated to a 48-22 edge in points inside the paint, as well as a 24-5 advantage in second-chance points.
Davao absorbed its second straight loss and tumbled to 8-4, as no Tiger was able to score in double-digits.
Earlier, Iloilo clamped down on South Cotabato in the third quarter then revved up its offense in the fourth period for an 89-83 victory, while Bicolandia finally tallied its breakthrough victory at the expense of Bacolod City of Smiles, 62-61.
READ: Iloilo's furious fightback downs South Cotabato
The MPBL goes to the Caloocan Sports Complex on Thursday with Manila battling Imus at 4 p.m., Sarangani tackling Zamboanga at 6 p.m., and Quezon tangling with Caloocan at 8 p.m.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
