Wamar catches fire, saves San Juan

Orlan Wamar turned hot when San Juan’s win streak in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2025 Season was at stake on Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Showing why he is the league’s three-point king, Wamar poured a record 22 points, spiked by six triples, in the fourth quarter as the Knights rallied to beat the Imus Braderhood, 89-83, and raise their record to 7-0 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.

The 5-foot-6 Wamar, last year’s Mythical Team member and current top playmaker, wound up with 28 points, nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and one block to earn best player honors and push San Juan closer to pacesetter Nueva Ecija (8-0) in the race for playoff spots.

The Pasay Voyagers thwarted the Basilan Viva Portmasters, 78-74, in the nightcap to climb to 7-3.

Trailing by 11 heading to the last four minutes, the Portmasters clustered nine points, sparked by Gab Dagangon’s free throw and a triple, and capped by Sherwin Concepcion’s triple, to threaten at 74-76 with 52.2 seconds to go.

The Voyagers, however, held the fort through split charities by Warren Bonifacio and Cyrus Tabi to notch their fourth straight win at their homecourt and pull down the Portmasters to 3-6.

Pasay was led by AJ Coronel, who went a perfect 7-of-7 on his field goal attempts en route to 17 points plus six rebounds; Laurenz Victoria with 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds; Bonifacio with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists; and Tabi with 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Basilan got 16 points and six rebounds from Dagangon, 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists from Alex Cabagnot; 11 points, five rebounds and two assists from Concepcion; and eight points, three assists and two rebounds from Enzo Navarro.

Michael Calisaan supported Wamar with 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals and so did AC Soberano with 14 points, two rebounds and two steals.