DEFENDING champion Pampanga turned to its slick running game as it battered Manila, 92-63, to pad its winning streak to 23 in the sixth season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) on Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Powered by Archie Concepcion, Encho Serrano and Justine Baltazar, the Giant Lanterns led by as many as 32, 92-60, to improve to 23-1 in the tournament.
Serrano and Concepcion combined for 26 points in the first half as they erected a 47-30 lead and never looked back, turning what was expected to be a close match-up into a blowout.
Concepcion posted 21 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists to clinch best player honors over Serrano, who tallied 23 points and three rebounds, and reigning MVP Baltazar, who just missed out on a triple-double with 10 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.
Greg Slaughter led the way for the SV Batang Sampaloc with 21 points and 11 rebounds but no other play breached double digits for the Stars as they fell to 17-8
Earlier, Mindoro subdued Bacolod, 114-103, to improve to 8-16.
With five players submitting twin digits, the Tamaraws surged ahead, 46-22, and never looked back as it relegated Bacolod to the cellar at 1-23.
Jayvee Dela Cruz posted 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals, Lester Reyes tallied 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while homegrown star Jhon Jerrick Caspe flirted with a triple-double with 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.
Bacolod got 18 points from Rashawn McCarthy.
The MPBL returns to the Caloocan Sports Complex on Tuesday with games pitting Zamboanga against Bulacan at 4 p.m., Bataan against Quezon at 6 pm., and Rizal against Caloocan at 8 p.m.
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