San Juan flaunted its depth and firepower in a 110-89 thumping of Quezon City to move closer to the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2026 Season leaders on Friday at the Orion Sports Complex in Bataan.
All of the 15 Knights fielded and scored four points or more as they extended their winning run to six and climbed to 8-1 in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.
AC Soberano led the Knights’ balanced offense with 12 points and two assists and was chosen the SportsPlus Best Player over Patrick Sleat with 10 points and two assists, and Harold Alarcon, with 10 points and two rebounds.
Michael Phillips, Nikko Panganiban and Gerry Abadiano supported with nine points each as San Juan pulled away, 101-74.
Quezon City suffered its second straight loss and slid to 6-5 despite five players, headed by MJ Joson, carding double figures.
Joson notched 16 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals, Kenz Rei Diokno, Jake Agoncillo and Rey Publico with 12 points each, and Aldave Canoy with 10 points.
Quezon City moved to within 40-36, but Soberano drilled in back-to-back triples for a total of four in the second quarter and pushed San Juan farther ahead at halftime, 63-42.
Meanwhile, the Batangas City Tanduay Athletics pounded the depleted Iloilo United Royals, 102-67, in the opener to extend their winning run to seven and improved to 9-2.
All but one of the 15 Athletics scored, with Kraniel Villoria leading the charge with 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals to earn the Best Player honors.
