THE San Juan Knights weathered the Manila Stars’ final assaults to prevail80-78 on Monday and sustain their hot streak in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season at the FilOilEcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Orlan Wamar and Nikko Panganiban scored 9 points each in the fourth quarter to save the game for San Juan, which endured Manila SV Batang Sampaloc’s three scoring spurts from 12 points down50-62 to notch its 12th straight win and climb to 21-1 in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 29-team tournament.
The Knights are right behind the pacesetting Pampanga Giant Lanterns, who are on a 22-game roll after an initial loss.
Manila threatened at 78-80 following two free throws by Enzo Navarro with 6.6 ticks to go and got another reprieve when Panganiban muffed two charities with 5.3 ticks left.
Carl Bryan Cruz, however, failed to beat the buzzer in the ensuring play and Manila went down to 16-7 in coach Ariel Vanguardia’s debut.
Wamar posted 21 points, seven assists and four rebounds to clinch the Daily Fantasy best player honors over Panganiban, who finished with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, and AC Soberano, who tallied 14 points and nine rebounds.
The Manila Stars drew 16 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, from Joshua Torralba, 15 points plus eight rebounds from 7-footer Greg Slaughter, 11 points from Cruz, and nine points plus nine assists from Navarro.
Manila, with Torralba drilling in back-to-back triples, Pao Javelona adding another three and Navarro driving in against a layup by Panganiban, crept within 68-70 still 3:03 to go.
San Juan, however, bunched 7 points, capped by Panganiban’s triple, to stay afloat, 77-68, time down to 1:34.
The Quezon Huskers battered the Bulacan Kuyas79-51behind Judel Fuentes and XimoneSandagon, in the opener to climb to 18-3.
Quezon City trounced depleted Bacolod 120-77in the second game to improve to 10-13.
