Phillips dominates as Knights cruise past SiKat

The San Juan Knights built a commanding lead early and never looked back, defeating Zamboanga SiKat 80-73 on Saturday at the One Arena Cainta in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season.

A jumper from Gerry Abadiano gave San Juan an 80-60 cushion with 4:15 left, effectively sealing the victory and improving their record to **4-1** in the round-robin elimination phase. Zamboanga SiKat mounted a late rally but fell short, dropping to 1-4.

Mike Phillips led the Knights with a strong all-around performance of **14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks**, earning Player of the Game honors. The 6-foot-8 forward was supported by AC Soberano and James Kwekuteye, who each chipped in 11 points.

San Juan showcased impressive depth, with 14 of their 15 players scoring at least one point.

Paeng Are led Zamboanga SiKat with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Inand Val Fornilos added 12 points and Reggz Gabat contributed 10.

The Knights seized control with a decisive 15-1 run in the first half, turning a close 26-25 game into a 41-29 halftime advantage.

The MPBL continues on Monday at Paco Arena with Basilan vs. Bulacan (4 p.m.), Mindoro vs. Biñan (6 p.m.), and Parañaque vs. Batangas (8 p.m.).