Davao Occidental dethrones San Juan

Mark Yee hit a game-winning trey as Davao Occidental dethroned San Juan in overtime, 89-88, in Game 4 to claim the 2021 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Lakan Season title at the Subic Bay Convention Center Sunday.

The 39-year-old veteran buried the go-ahead triple with only 13.4 left in the extra period as the Tigers closed the best-of-five series and snared their first-ever MPBL title.

The nail-biting victory also allowed Davao Occidental to avenge their 2019 Datu Cup Finals loss against the Knights, who were bannered by stars Larry Rodriguez and John Wilson.

Yee, a former PBA mainstay, finished with 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds and three monster blocks, big enough to be hailed as the Finals MVP.

Davao Occidental head coach Don Dulay, meanwhile, was named the Coach of the Year for leading the team to the title amid the pandemic which forced the league to stage the season in a bubble setup.