San Juan and Caloocan lived up to the hype on Monday, beating their respective playoff rivals in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
The San Juan Knights trounced the Bataan Risers, 94-84, in the nightcap to keep pace with the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo, who also defeated the Ilagan Isabela Cowboys in the opening game of their quarterfinal series.
San Juan, the No. 2 seed after the round-robin elimination phase, and No. 3 Caloocan will aim to complete sweeps of No. 7 Bataan and No. 6 Ilagan Isabela, respectively, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
The Knights pulled away, 84-63, after a triple by Orlan Wamar, but the Risers responded with a 12-point run to cut the deficit. Yves Sazon then brought Bataan within 81-88 with 3:10 remaining.
Michael Calisaan, however, scored on a follow-up before Patrick Sleat drove to the basket. His shot gave San Juan a 92-81 lead with just 1:26 left and effectively put the game out of reach.
Sleat finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists to earn Best Player honors over Calisaan, who contributed 18 points and five rebounds.
Other Knights who delivered strong performances were James Kwekuteye, who had 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals; Harold Alarcon, with 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists; and Wamar, who added 11 points and five assists.
Sazon paced Bataan with 30 points, including six triples, along with six rebounds and two assists. Alfred Flores was the only other Riser to reach double figures, finishing with 11 points and five assists.
(C) MPBL
Powered by Dom Escobar and Kean Baclaan, Caloocan built a commanding 58-35 lead midway through the third quarter before holding off a late Ilagan Isabela rally to move within one win of advancing to the semifinals of the two-division, 26-team tournament.
Baclaan, the prized acquisition from the De La Salle Green Archers, posted 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists to earn Best Player honors over Dom Escobar, who was recruited from the Ateneo Blue Eagles and finished with 14 points and four assists.
Other key contributors for Caloocan were Kymani Ladi, who recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, and two assists; Jeff Manday, with 11 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two assists; and Eric Camson, who added 10 points.
Robby Celiz carried the fight for the Cowboys, scoring 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as Ilagan Isabela outscored the Batang Kankaloo, 25-16, to trim the deficit.
Celiz finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, followed by Arth Dela Cruz with 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists; Donald Gumaru with 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists; and MJ Ayaay with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
The game was tightly contested at 27-26 before the Batang Kankaloo unleashed a 17-point run behind Ladi and Manday and never looked back.
The South Division playoffs move to the Quezon Convention Center on Wednesday, with Cebu facing Batangas City at 5:00 PM and Quezon Province taking on Zamboanga SiKat at 7:00 PM.
