Basilan started hot and kept the heat throughout to rout Cebu, 87-55, to sustain its recovery in Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2025 Season late Wednesday at the Paco Arena in Manila.

Thriving with an 11-man rotation, the Viva Portmasters surged ahead, 27-12, after the first quarter, padded the lead to 20 at halftime, then bundled 18 points, highlighted by Reymar Caduyac’s back-to-back triples, in the fourth to notch their first back-to-back win and improve to 5-7 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.

Nueva Ecija paces the race for playoff berths with a 12-0 slate, followed by Abra (11-1), San Juan (11-1), Zamboanga (11-2), Quezon Province (10-2) and Muntinlupa (10-2).

Sherwin Concepcion led Basilan with 11 points, four rebounds and three steals, complementing Emman Calo’s 11-point, four-assist, two-steal effort and Ady Santos’ 10-point, four-rebound output.

Gab Dagangon and Enzo Joson contributed nine points each, while James Tempra and Caduyac added eight markers for the Portmasters, who are bidding to make this year’s playoffs after taking a leave of absence from 2022 to 2024.

With only eight players suiting up, Cebu tumbled to 4-9.

The Classic got 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists from homegrown Mark Meneses, 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists from Limuel Tampus, and nine points plus seven rebounds from 6-foot-9 Ladis Lepalam.

Meanwhile, Manila tasted its 12th straight defeat after an initial win despite John Ashley Faa’s 29 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals, and Richard Albo’s 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

The Mindoro Tamaraws also warded off the Bacolod Tubo Slashers’ final assault to prevail, 76-63, and level their slate at 7-7 in the opener of the triple header.