Lastimosa erupts for 32 as Heroes rout Darkhorse

Biñan Tatak Gel continued its winning ways on Monday, cruising to a 102-74 victory over Valenzuela City behind a career-best performance from Carlo Lastimosa in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season at Villar Coliseum in Las Piñas.

Lastimosa poured in a career-high 32 points, knocking down five three-pointers while adding two rebounds and two assists. Nic Cabanero complemented him with 22 points and nine rebounds as Biñan stretched its winning streak to 13 games and improved to 16-3 in the elimination round of the 27-team tournament.

The victory moved Biñan into third place in the South Division, overtaking GenSan (14-3). The Heroes now trail only Batangas City (15-2) and Quezon Province (13-2) in the standings.

Lastimosa claimed Best Player of the Game honors after leading Biñan's wire-to-wire victory. Cabanero also made a strong impact despite connecting on just one of his six attempts from beyond the arc.

Warren Bonifacio, Jaymar Gimpayan, and Michael Mabulac chipped in six points each to bolster the Heroes' balanced effort.

Valenzuela slipped to 9-12 despite 17 points from Angelo Obuyes. Nico Mamaradlo added 14 markers, while Jay Collado finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

Biñan broke the game wide open in the third quarter, with Lastimosa and Cabanero leading a surge that stretched the advantage to 81-47 before the Heroes cruised the rest of the way.

The tournament resumes Tuesday at the Pasay Astrodome, where Bacolod faces Bulacan at 3 p.m., Zamboanga takes on Parañaque at 5 p.m., and Pasay battles Batangas City at 7 p.m.