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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Mike Phillips makes debut as San Juan shares lead; Pasay, Biñan win

Mike Phillips makes debut as San Juan shares lead; Pasay, Biñan win

Published Apr 17, 2026 12:45 pm

At A Glance

  • San Juan shared the lead, while Binan and Pasay rebounded on Thursday, April 16, in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Pasay Astrodome.
Mike Phillips shines in his first game with the San Juan Knights. (MPBL)
Mike Phillips shines in his first game with the San Juan Knights. (MPBL)
San Juan shared the lead, while Biñan and Pasay rebounded on Thursday, April 16, in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Pasay Astrodome.
The San Juan Knights, led by coveted recruit Mike Phillips, subdued the Cebu Greats, 81-73, to join the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo at the top of the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.
Biñan Tatak Gel turned hot in the fourth quarter and trounced Quezon City, 75-63, while the Pasay Voyagers dumped the Paranaque Patriots, 83-48, in wire-to-wire fashion to recover from their first game losses.
The 6-foot-8 Phillips, last year's UAAP Finals MVP when he powered the De La Salle Green Archers to the crown, posted 9 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal to clinch the SportsPlus best player award in his debut with the Knights.
Gerry Abadiano tallied 15 points and 2 rebounds, and Michael Calisaan 12 points and 5 rbounds as they complemented Phillips' effort in handing the Knights their second straight win in as many starts.
Phillips said he was glad to play alongside his former rivals and now fellow Knights Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Reyland Torres and Terrence Fortea, all former University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.
Alarcon finished with 8 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, while Torres wound up with 7 points and 4 rebounds to help San Juan catch Caloocan at the top in the tournament backed by Sportsplus.
Other Knights who delivered were Orland Wamar with 8 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds, and AC Soberano, with 8 points.
Back-to-back triples by Alarcon and Abadiano pushed the Knights ahead, 28-23, and padded the lead to 44-29 by halftime.
Cebu greeted the fourth quarter with a 10-point cluster behind Andrey Armenion and Brian Heruela, but couldn't sustain the fire as Abadiano, Phillips and Calisaan struck back, 76-62.
The Greats fell to 1-1 despite Mark Meneses' 17-point, 17-rebound, 2-assist output, Heruela's 12-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist effort, Wowie Escosio's 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Paul Desiderio's 10 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds.
Biñan trailed, 49-58, until Carlo Lastimosa fueled a 19-point run to turn the game around.
Lastimosa finished with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, followed by Nic Cabanero with 13 points and 2 rebounds, and Kenny Roger Rocacurva with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 assists.
Quezon City, which fell to 0-2, got 15 points, 5 rebounds and 8 steals from MJ Joson and 11 points plus 3 rebounds from Brian Rosalin.
Christian Fajarito powered Pasay with 12 points and 2 rebounds, followed by Steve Nash Enriquez with 11 points and 3 rebounds, and Leonard Santiago with 11 points and 3 assists.
Homegrown Paolo Castro was Paranaque's top scorer with 9 points.
The tournament returns to the One Arena Cainta on Friday, featuring games between Gensan and Mindoro at 4 p.m., Bulacan against Batangas at 6 p.m., and Meycauayan against Manila at 8 p.m.

Related Tags

Mike Phillips La Salle Green Archers san juan city MPBL
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