San Juan outlasted Valenzuela City, 124-112, in overtime on Thursday behind a clutch performance from Orlan Wamar to keep pace with league-leading Abra Solid North in the MPBL 2026 Season at the Paco Arena in Manila.
Earlier, the Abra Weavers defeated the Mindoro Tamaraws, 97-81, in the opening game of another triple-header in the round-robin elimination phase of the 27-team tournament.
Wamar delivered when it mattered most, scoring 10 of his 25 points in overtime, including three triples, to power the Knights to their 14th straight victory and a 15-1 record, trailing only the North Division-leading Weavers, who improved to 16-1.
He finished with 25 points on eight three-pointers, along with six rebounds and five assists. Wamar also drained the game-tying triple that forced overtime, knotting the score at 108-all with 19.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
“We didn’t expect the game to be this tight,” Wamar said. “There are many lapses and we need to adjust in our practices.”
Patrick Sleat added 23 points, six assists, and two rebounds before fouling out in regulation.
Also stepping up for San Juan were Dexter Maiquez with 16 points, eight assists, and six rebounds; Korean Basketball League-bound Gerry Abadiano with 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists; Royce Alforque with 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists; and Terrence Fortea with 11 points.
Valenzuela slipped to 9-11 despite balanced scoring from CJ Alattica, who had 23 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals; Shaq Alanes with 22 points, five rebounds, and three assists; JR Olegario with 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists; Angelo Obuyes with 16 points and three rebounds; and Jay Collado with 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
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In the opener, Dave Ildefonso outscored the entire Mindoro squad in the first quarter as Abra raced to a commanding 26-8 lead before fending off several Tamaraws comeback attempts for its 14th consecutive victory.
Ildefonso finished with 21 points, highlighted by five three-pointers, and added three rebounds as the reigning MPBL Most Valuable Player continued his strong campaign.
“I try to study our plays, our system, and try my best to get my opportunities,” said Ildefonso, who has fully recovered from an injury earlier this season. “As a team, we’re out to defend our crown and, hopefully, everybody stays healthy.”
Shaun Ildefonso contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while DJ Fenner chipped in 11 points, three assists, and two rebounds. John Figueroa added 10 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.
Mindoro, which fell to 8-9, was led by Joseph Sedurifa with 14 points—all but two coming from beyond the arc—along with four rebounds and four assists. JC Recto also scored 14 points with six rebounds and two assists, while Aaron Jeruta had 10 points, five assists, and three rebounds.
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In the nightcap, Zamboanga Sikat edged Quezon City, 85-84, to keep its playoff hopes alive with a 7-11 record.
Levi Hernandez sparked the decisive run with a three-point play and a three-pointer that sandwiched back-to-back baskets by Paeng Are, giving Zamboanga an 82-75 cushion with 2:32 left.
Brandon Wilson paced Zamboanga with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. Hernandez added 15 points and six rebounds, Joseph Gabayni contributed 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Jayson Puray finished with 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Forthsky Padrigao split a pair of free throws to stretch the lead to 85-81 before Pat Buena buried a triple with 1.8 seconds remaining to account for the final margin.
Quezon City dropped to 8-10 despite 17 points from Buena, 15 from Kobe Monje, 11 from Jake Agoncillo, and 10 from Ryan Costelo.
The tournament shifts to the Batangas City Coliseum on Friday, with Binan facing Ilagan Isabela at 3 p.m., Caloocan taking on Basilan at 5 p.m., and Batangas meeting Rizal at 7 p.m.
