SUBIC — Defending champion San Juan-Go for Gold showed no mercy against the extremely short-handed Makati-Super Crunch, racking up a 131-54 rout, to advance to the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Lakan National Finals, Wednesday at the Subic Bay Gymnasium here.
San Juan will face the winner of the Southern division finals between Davao Occidental-Cocolife and Basilan-Jumbo Plastic.
Only five homegrown players from Makati, namely David Carlos, Edwin Asoro, Bhabap Sta. Maria, Carlo Lloren, and Kako Morales, made the bubble as issues with the management prevented the other players to join.
San Juan opened the game with a 15-0 start and never looked back. Bhabap Sta. Maria gave Makati its first basket at the 5:39 mark of the game.
“Sinabi ko sa mga players huwag tumingin kung sino ang kalaban namin. Ipinakita ng mga players na hindi sila nag-relax, nag-effort pa rin sila para makita na convincing win talaga,” said Knights head coach Randy Alcantara.
And as the game went on, the story for the Knights continued to brighten, while it was the opposite for Makati.
San Juan limited Makati to just six points in the second frame that led to a 64-17 halftime lead.
Ced Pelayo’s three-pointer at the 4:38 mark of the fourth quarter gave San Juan its biggest lead of the match at 78, 119-41.
The Knights of Alcantara also won the series opener last March 9, 76-60, but the Super Crunch, then in full force under Coach Beaujing Acot, struck back in Game 2, 91-88, before the MPBL went into sabbatical due to the Luzon-wide lockdown imposed by the government because of the pandemic.
Mike Ayonayon tallied his first triple-double in his storied MPBL career with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists to lead the Knights.
San Juan main man John Wilson topscored with 22 markers on a very efficient 9-of-11 shooting clip, while Jhonard Clarito got 20 points and 13 boards in just 16 minutes.
Outlet passes were a friend of the Knights as they converted 51 fastbreak points while Makati only had seven. They also made a whopping 48 assists in 58 made field goals.
The 77-point win by San Juan was a new league-record, surpassing the 53-point win of Bacoor against Parañaque on August 27, 2019, 109-56.
Edwin Asoro led the shorthanded Super Crunch with 21 points while Sta. Maria chipped in 14 markers.
Acot, Asoro, Santamaria, Morales, Lloren, Carlos, and the handful of Super Crunch officials will leave the bubble on Thursday.
San Juan awaits the winner of the Davao Occidental-Basilan knockout match which is set to take place on March 17 if the Steel net a negative RT-PCR test result.
The Scores:
San Juan-Go for Gold 131 –– Wilson 22, Clarito 20, Wamar 14, Ayonayon 10, Gabawan 9, Pelayo 9, Rodriguez 8, Buñag 8, Ubalde 8, Aquino 6, Isit 5, Reyes 4, Marquez 4, Tajonera 2, Estrella 2.
Makati 54 — Asoro 21, Sta. Maria 14, Carlos 9, Morales 6, Lloren 4
Quarterscores: 38-11, 64-17, 94-36, 131-54.
