GenSan and Sarangani halted their skid while Biñan sustained its climb in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2025 Season on Tuesday at the WES Arena in Valenzuela City.
The Warriors banked on a fourth quarter spurt to subdue the Imus Braderhood, 74-64, in the second game, overshadowed by the Sarangani Grippers’ 103-94 stunner over the Valenzuela Classics in the nightcap.
Barely ahead, 48-47, the Warriors clustered 12 points and rebounded from four straight defeats for a 3-4 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Kyle Tolentino led GenSan with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists, then Rene Pacquiao with 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists, and Nico Elorde with 11 points, five assists, two steals and two rebounds.
Imus tumbled to 4-4 despite Jayjay Caspe’s 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists, Mark Doligon’s 18 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Regie Boy Basibas’ 14 points plus five rebounds.
The Grippers, on the other hand, weathered the Classic’s final assault to notch their first win after seven successive losses.
Powered by Jan Formento and Kobe Monje, Valenzuela threatened at 93-94 on back-to-back triples by Jan Formento and Lester Alvarez with 1:20 to go.
Sarangani, however, kept its poise and silenced Valenzuela, which missed four triple attempts, the rest of the way.
With Jeymark Mallari scoring six of the game’s last eight points, the Grippers relegated the Classics to 3-5.
Mallari tallied 22 points, eight assists, two rebounds and two assists; Adven Jess Diputado 18 points, three rebounds and three assists; Arvie Bringas 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists; Coy Alves 10 points and nine rebounds; and Junjie Hallare 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals for Sarangani.
Valenzuela got 29 points, five rebounds and five assists from Formento, 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists from Monje, and 14 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and two assists from JR Alabanza.
Biñan Tatak Gel pounded Bulacan to submission, 86-48, in the opener to climb to 4-3.
Heating up in the second quarter, Biñan pulled away at halftime, 45-22, and never wavered.
Powered by high-flyers Jaymar Gimpayan and Poypoy Actub, Pamboy Raymundo and Nino Cañaleta, Biñan stormed ahead, 84-37, late in the fourth quarter before easing up on Bulacan, which absorbed its ninth straight defeat and got mired at the cellar.