Knights’ Third-Quarter Surge Overwhelms Masskaras

The San Juan Knights turned up the heat in the third quarter to dominate the Bacolod Masskaras, 128-85, on Saturday in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season at the Kamalig Sports Complex in Orion, Bataan.

Holding a 61-50 lead at halftime, the Knights exploded for a 38-18 third-quarter run, securing their fifth win against just one loss in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League tournament.

San Juan trails North Division leader Caloocan (7-0), while General Santos City (7-0) and Quezon Province (4-0) pace the South Division in the race for playoff positioning.

Orlan Wamar spearheaded the rout, scoring all 18 of his points on six three-pointers in the first half before transitioning to playmaking duties. He finished with 14 assists and two rebounds as San Juan dished out a season-high 46 team assists. Wamar’s all-around performance earned him Best Player honors over Patrick Sleat, who had 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals, and Terrence Fortea, who added 16 points and four assists.

JP Boral contributed 12 points and four rebounds, AC Soberano had 10 points and two boards, Mike Phillips added nine points and 11 rebounds, while Jearico Nunez posted seven points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. San Juan also dominated the glass 63-33, translating that edge into 66 points in the paint compared to Bacolod’s 38.

The Masskaras dropped their seventh straight game after opening the season with a win, despite John Kobe Dalisay’s 26-point effort.

In the nightcap, Biñan pulled away late to defeat Bataan 89-79, improving to 5-3. Nic Cabanero led the charge with 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists, while Carlo Lastimosa added 14 points and two boards. Michael Mabulac, Marc Pingris, and Pamboy Raymundo each scored 10 points as Biñan built a 77-64 cushion.

Bataan, suffering its fourth consecutive loss after a 3-0 start, was paced by Hubert Cani with 12 points, while Robbi Darang, Alfred Flores, and Dante Paguio each scored 11, and Yves Sazon added 10 in the defeat.