Baltazar sets MPBL rebounding record

Justine Baltazar shattered the rebound record as the Pampanga Giant Lanterns thwarted the Bataan Risers, 74-72, to remain unbeaten in the OKBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Fifth Season at the Bataan People's Center in Balanga.

The 6-foot-9 Baltazar snagged 27 rebounds to eclipse the 26 boards he jointly held with JR Taganas and play a pivotal role in Pampanga's 10th straight win in the single round-robin elimination round of the 29-team tournament.

In addition, Baltazar, the league's leading scorer with 19.4 per game norm and rebounder with 17.6 per game average thus far, scored 13 points, issued seven assists and rejected two shots for Pampanga, which trailed only defending champion Nueva Ecija (11-0) in the standings.

Jayson Castro Apolonio supported Baltazar with 22 points, five rebounds and two steals and so did Archie Concepcion with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Bataan trailed by as many as 14 points and was behind, 55-66, with 4:55 left.

Ernesto Bondoc, however, drilled two triples in a 10-3 spurt to put the Risers closer, 65-69.

Pampanga's Raymund Binuya then drove in at the 1:08 mark, but Bataan countered with a 7-2 salvo, capped by Yves Sazon's triple that pushed the Risers within 72-73 with three seconds to go.

Baltazar got fouled in the ensuing play, made his first free throw and missed the second, but grabbed the record-setting rebound as time expired.

Sazon wound up with 16 points and James Castro 13 for Bataan, which fell to 6-6.

In other games, the Pasay Voyagers repelled the Manila Stars, 77-70, while the Makati OKBet Kings routed the Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc., 86-60.

Pasay climbed to 8-3 behind Laurenz Paul Victoria's 16 points, Axel Inigo's 13, AJ Coronel's 11 and Dhon Reverente's 10 points