Dubai, UAE – The Pampanga Giant Lanterns crushed the Quezon Huskers on foreign soil after a lopsided win, 79-60, taking game 2 of the 2024 MPBL National Finals held on December 3, 2024, inside the Al Nasr Club’s Rashid Bin Hamdan. One more win to go and they’ll be named champions once again.
Pampanga Dominates While Quezon Crumbles
Game 2 is very much like Game 1. At first, Quezon seemed to have finally captured their rhythm and looked like they could now keep up with Pampanga’s firepower. However, the Giant Lanterns would then go on a scoring spree. They went on a 16-3 run to start the second period behind Kurt Spencer Reyson and Raymond Binuya’s long bombs. Reyson and Binuya went hot and pushed the lead further after continuous makes from three-point land. At halftime, Pampanga was already up by fifteen (47-32).
Since then, the 2023 MPBL champions never looked back and held on to their large lead until the very end, ultimately securing another dub in the Finals, handing Quezon yet another blowout loss.
The Huskers’ leading scorer, Judel Ric Fuentes, finished the game with 12 points but was obviously struggling to make baskets again. Fuentes only sank 2 of his 13 attempts (15.4%) from downtown. Aside from Fuentes, Al Francis Tamsi (11 points) was the lone Husker who made more than 10 points.
Meanwhile, Rodel Gravera was en route to replicating his season-high performance in game 1. Before the first period ended, Gravera already had 7 points, but unfortunately, he struggled and went quiet in the next three quarters due to Pampanga’s suffocating defense. Rookie sensation LJ Gonzales also looks like he hasn’t recovered from Serrano’s elbow in game 1. The former FEU standout got his first and only 2 points in the final five minutes of the game.
On the other hand, Justine Baltazar is once again unstoppable. Although he only fired for 13 points, the reigning MVP stuffed the stat sheet after getting 19 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks in 32 minutes. In addition, with the suspension of Encho Serrano, it was Kurt Spencer Reyson who took the mantle as the team’s main scorer and playmaker. Reyson finished with 20 points, including 6 triples, on top of grabbing 5 boards, dishing 7 dimes, and picking up 2 steals. Big man Jhaymo Eguilos also contributed with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Giving points from the outside is Raymond Binuya, who ended the game with 12 points, including three triples.
Back in 2023, Pampanga showed how dominant they are, especially during the finals. They swept the star-studded Bacoor Strikers last year, and it looks like it’s no different this year as the defending champs are just a win away from the 2024 MPBL championship trophy.
Game 3 will see the return of the MPBL Finals matchup between Pampanga and Quezon in the Philippines. This do-or-die game will be held in front of the Kapampangan fans, inside the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center on December 7, 2024. Will the Quezon Huskers bounce back or will this be another sweep for the Pampanga Giant Lanterns?
