Rizal stretched its hot streak by drubbing Mindoro, 77-61, and sharing the lead in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Season 2025 at the Ynares Center 2 Montalban in Rizal Province on Tuesday.
Powered by Michael Canete and Keanu Caballero, the Golden Coolers led by as far as 77-53 before cruising to their fifth straight win and joining the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards at the top of the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Canete tallied 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block while the 5-foot-6 Caballero posted 13 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal to clinch Best Player honors in the nightcap of a triple-header.
Eric Joseph Pili provided help with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists and so did Eric Cammson with eight points and nine rebounds, making the Golden Coolers among the favorites to secure playoff berths in the two-division regional league.
Mindoro, which tumbled to 1-5, got 17 points and nine rebounds from Jonas Tibayan and 10 points plus two rebounds from Ethan Galang.
The Davao Occidental Tigers nipped the Parañaque Patriots, 70-66, in a battle between debuting teams.
Parañaque led at 66-65 on two free throws by Paolo Castro with 41.7 seconds to go, but was unable to convert on its last possessions.
Davao, on the other hand, regained control on a follow-up by Wowie Escosio, a charity by Tricky Don Peromingan, then sealed the win with two more charities by Justin Alano with 4.5 ticks left.
Valandre Chauca struck for Davao with 16 points, two rebounds and two assists, followed by homegrown Allan Beltran with 12 points and four rebounds, and Jefferson Comia with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.