Pampanga showcased its dominance with a commanding 88-71 victory over Quezon in Game One of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Sixth Season National Finals on Sunday at the Al Nasr Club’s Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall in Dubai (2 a.m. Monday in Manila).
The game marked the first time a Philippine-based league held a championship match on foreign soil.
The North Division champion Giant Lanterns were powered by standout performances from Justine Baltazar, Archie Concepcion, and Brandon Ramirez. Pampanga allowed South Division titlist Quezon to score first but quickly seized control at 3-2 and maintained the lead until the final buzzer.
Baltazar, the frontrunner for back-to-back MPBL MVP honors, delivered a near triple-double with 24 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
Concepcion chipped in 17 points, three rebounds, a steal, and an assist, while Ramirez, known for his tenacity and athleticism, tallied 11 points, 11 rebounds, a steal, and a assist, earning him Daily Fantasy Best Player honors.
Other key contributors for Pampanga head coach and governor Dennis Pineda included Rence Alcoriza with nine points and three rebounds, Kurt Reyson with eight points, six assists, three rebounds, and a steal, and MJ Garcia, who added five points, eight assists, three rebounds, and a block.
Their collective efforts offset the early ejection of sharpshooter Encho Serrano, who was disqualified at the 8:28 mark of the second quarter for elbowing Quezon’s L-Jay Gonzales.
At the time, Pampanga held a 29-20 lead.
For Quezon, homegrown talent Rodel Gravera stood out, finishing with 20 points, including five three-pointers, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in just 16 minutes of action.
However, the rest of the Huskers struggled to keep up.
Judel Fuentes shot just 3-of-16 for eight points, while Al Francis Tamsi added eight points, four rebounds, and three assists for head coach Eric Gonzales’ squad.
The Giant Lanterns dominated the boards with a 48-38 rebounding edge and outscored the Huskers 50-32 in the paint.
Pampanga’s advantage was highlighted by the presence of the 6-foot-8 Baltazar and 6-foot-5 Ramirez, who controlled the interior.
Quezon briefly threatened in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 43-49 behind back-to-back triples from Gravera and Fuentes.
However, Pampanga responded with a balanced attack from Ramirez, Concepcion, and Jeff Viernes, rebuilding a comfortable 57-43 lead.
Free-throw shooting woes further hurt Quezon, as they made just 3-of-9 attempts compared to Pampanga’s 15-of-22, which included perfect 6-of-6 performances from Baltazar and Concepcion.
Baltazar set the tone early with 12 points in the opening quarter, giving Pampanga a 24-20 lead.
Concepcion then took charge in the second quarter, scoring 8 points during a 12-2 run that widened the gap to 47-32 by halftime.
MPBL Founder and CEO Manny Pacquiao was in attendance, lending his support to the historic event.
Pacquiao is set to headline an MPBL selection team, featuring Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes and Operations Head Emmer Oreta, in an exhibition game against the Dubai All-Stars on Monday.
Game Two of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Tuesday, December 3, with Pampanga, buoyed by its strong contingent of Kapampangan supporters, heavily favored to extend its lead.
The Finals will then shift back to the Philippines for Game Three on December 7 at the Bren Z. Guiao Sports Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.
