Knights share lead; Pasay, Biñan shine

San Juan shared the lead, while Biñan and Pasay rebounded in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season at the Pasay Astrodome.

The San Juan Knights, led by coveted recruit Mike Phillips, subdued the Cebu Greats, 81-73, to join the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo at the top of the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.

Biñan Tatak Gel turned hot in the fourth quarter and trounced Quezon City, 75-63, while the Pasay Voyagers dumped the Paranaque Patriots, 83-48, in wire-to-wire fashion to recover from their first game losses.

The 6-foot-8 Phillips, last year’s University Athletic Association of the Philippines Finals Most Valuable Player when he powered De La Salle University to the crown, posted nine points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, and a steal to clinch the SportsPlus best player award in his debut with the Knights.

Gerry Abadiano tallied 15 points and two rebounds, and Michael Calisaan 12 points and five rebounds as they complemented Phillips’ effort in handing the Knights their second straight win in as many starts.

Phillips said he was glad to play alongside his former rivals and now fellow Knights Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Reyland Torres and Terrence Fortea, all former University of the Philippines stars.

Alarcon finished with eight points, two rebounds, and three assists, while Torres wound up with seven points and four rebounds to help San Juan catch Caloocan at the top.

Other Knights who delivered were Orland Wamar with eight points, seven assists, and five rebounds, and AC Soberano with eight points.

Back-to-back triples by Alarcon and Abadiano pushed the Knights ahead, 28-23, and padded the lead to 44-29 by halftime.

Cebu greeted the fourth quarter with a 10-point cluster behind Andrey Armenion and Brian Heruela, but couldn’t sustain the fire as Abadiano, Phillips and Calisaan struck back, 76-62.

The Greats fell to 1-1 despite Mark Meneses’ 17-point, 17-rebound, two-assist output, Heruela’s 12-point, five-rebound, four-assist effort, Wowie Escosio’s 11 points and six rebounds, and Paul Desiderio’s 10 points, three assists and two rebounds.