San Juan weathered Rizal Xentromall’s fourth-quarter surge, then leaned on Michael Calisaan and Dexter Maiquez to prevail, 79-78, and stretch its unbeaten run in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2025 Season on Thursday at the Ynares Arena 2 Montalban in Rizal Province.
Calisaan drilled in a side jumper while Maiquez scored from under after grabbing the ball from the hands of Eric Camson with 20.1 seconds left to lift the Knights to their sixth straight win in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Rizal then missed twice, on a Camson jumper with 9.6 seconds to go and an alley-oop by Alwyn Alday with 1.1 ticks left, to absorb its third straight defeat after winning its first four.
Ahead after three quarters, 63-54, the Knights fell behind 69-74 after the Golden Coolers greeted the fourth quarter with a 20-6 spurt capped by a Keanu Caballero triple.
The Golden Coolers were still up, 78-75, following two charities by Mike Canete with 1:07 remaining, but went silent after that.
Maiquez posted 21 points, six rebounds and two assists, while Calisaan wound up with 19 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Knights, who drew eight points and four rebounds each from Arvin Gamboa and Nikko Panganiban.
Rizal got 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals from Canete, 12 points from Alday, 11 points and four rebounds from Samboy De Leon, and 10 points, eight rebounds from Camson.
The Knights trail only the Nueva Ecija Vanguards (7-0) and are ahead of the Abra Weavers (6-1), the Pampanga Giant Lanterns (6-1) and the Quezon Huskers (6-1) in the chase for playoff spots.
Zamboanga SiKat struck from afar and trounced poor-shooting Bacolod, 87-63, in the opener of the triple-bill.
The Zamboanguenos hit 15 triples, which spelled the difference as the Tubo Slashers could only convert 3-of-22 attempts.
Roi Sumang shone for Zamboanga with 21 points, spiked by five triples, three assists and two steals, followed by homegrown Jul-Ashri Ignacio with 15 points, all from rainbow territory, six rebounds and three assists.