San Juan, Caloocan draw first blood

San Juan and Caloocan lived up to the hype, besting their playoff rivals in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2026 Season on Monday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

The San Knights trounced the Bataan Risers, 94-84, in the nightcap to keep in step with the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo, who thwarted the Ilagan Isabela Cowboys, in the first game of the quarterfinal series.

San Juan, the second seed after the round-robin elimination phase, and Caloocan, the third seed, will aim for a sweep of No. 7 Bataan and No. 6 Ilagan Isabela, respectively, on Tuesday at the Caloocan Sports Complex.

The Knights pulled away, 84-63, after a triple by Orlan Wamar, but the Risers later clustered 12 points to inch closer, before Yves Sazon put them to within 81-88, with 3:10 left.

Michael Calisaan, however, scored on a follow-up and Patrick Sleat drove in to decide the outcome, 92-81, with only 1:26 to go.

Sleat wound up with nine points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to emerge the SportsPlus Best Player over Calisaan, who posted 18 points and five rebounds.

Other Knights who shone were James Kwekuteye with 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals; Harold Alarcon, with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists; and Wamar, with 11 points and five assists.

Bataan drew 30 points, spiked by six triples, six rebounds and two assists from Sazon, but only Alfred Flores supported with 11 points and five assists.

Powered by Dom Escobar and Kean Baclaan, Caloocan led as far as 58-35 midway through the third quarter, before moving within a win of advancing to the semifinal round of the two-division, 26-team tournament.

Baclaan, the prized acquisition from the De La Salle Green Archers, notched 16 points, five rebounds and five assists, and was chosen as the Best Player over Dom Escobar, recruited from the Ateneo Blue Eagles, who posted 14 points and four assists.

Other Caloocan major contributors were Kymani Ladi, with 10 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists; Jeff Manday, with 11 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists; and Eric Camson, with 10 points.

Robby Celiz carried the fight for the Cowboys, firing 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, when they outscored the Batang Kankaloo, 25-16, to lessen the gap.

Celiz finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks; followed by Arth Dela Cruz, with 17 points, eight rebounds and two assists; Donald Gumaru, with 13 points, six rebounds and two assists; and MJ Ayaay, with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.