Pampanga moves closer to MPBL crown

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Pampanga asserted its superiority as it booked a 79-60 win over Quezon Province to post a commanding 2-0 lead in their Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Sixth Season National Finals on Tuesday at the Al Nasr Sports Club’s Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall here.

The Giant Lanterns, who registered an 88-71 win in Game 1, are now a win away from sweeping the Huskers in their best-of-five finals series and become the league’s first ever back-to-back champion.

They can go for the clincher on Game 3 on 7 December at the Bren Z. Guiao Sports Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Kurt Reyson presided over the Giant Lanterns offense with 20 points, spiked by six triples, to go with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals to clinch the Daily Fantasy best player honors.

Justine Baltazar had another Most Valuable Player-like performance with 13 points, 19 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks followed by Raymond Binuya with 12 points, including three triples, four assists and two rebounds.

Asked whether the Giant Lanterns would end the best-of-five series in Game 3, Pampanga coach Gov. Dennis Pineda meekly replied “Hopefully,” previously noting that a sweep at home would be most welcome.

Other Giant Lanterns who shone were Jhaymo Eguilos with 10 points and nine rebounds, Archie Concepcion with eight points, four rebounds, two assists and a block and Brandon Ramirez with six points plus seven rebounds.

Back-to-back triples by Reyson and Rence Alcoriza gave Pampanga its biggest spread, 63-40, with 1:58 left in the third quarter.

A couple of charities by Binuya restored that gap, 65-42, early in the fourth quarter before the Huskers clustered 11 points on an inside thrust by Ximone Sandagon, four free throws by Al Francis Tamsi, and a drive and a triple by Judel Fuentes to push Quezon within 53-65, still 6:10 left.

Pampanga, however, kept its poise and capped the game with a one-handed jam by Baltazar and a layup by MJ Garcia.

The Huskers again misfired, sinking just 21 of 74 field goal attempts, highlighted by a nightmarish 7-of-38 performance from the rainbow area.

Quezon Coach Eric Gonzales got 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals from Judel Fuentes, 11 points, two rebounds and two steals from Tamsi, and nine points, 11 rebounds plus two assists from Rodel Gravera.