After opening the conference with seven straight losses, the Macau Black Knights are finally in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup win column after a convincing 119-107 win over the Titan Ultra Giant Risers on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. With the win, Macau moves to 1-7 and keeps its very slim chance of making the quarters alive. With the loss, Titan Ultra drops to 2-7 and will now have to win its remaining games for a shot at the next stage.
What Happened?
After a tight first few minutes, Titan Ultra jumped ahead, 32-24, to end the opening frame as Jerrick Balanza fired 10 quick points in a 16-7 close to the first quarter. However, a 12-4 Macau run to start the second quarter tied things up at 36, while a 21-3 run later in the quarter turned a 40-42 deficit into a 61-45 cushion. The Black Knights eventually ended the half ahead, 65-48, thanks to a 41-16 second quarter where they hit seven triples.
In the second half, Jenning Leung made sure there wasn’t going to be a letdown as he fired 14 points in the third on four triples. He then added 10 more—two threes, one four-pointer—in the fourth to help Macau cruise to the win.
Who Stood Out?
Leung had his best game in the PBA so far on Tuesday as he tallied a conference-high 32 points on a hyper-efficient 11-for-15 clip, including 7-for-10 from the arc. Damian Chong Qui stood out as well, as did Phoenix Shackelford off the Macau bench. Chong Qui finished with 23 points and 9 assists, while Shackelford had 18 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists.
For Titan Ultra, it was Fran Yu who carried the fight, going off for a career-high 35 points spiked by five triples. He also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists in what is likely his best game thus far as a pro. Jerrick Balanza also shone as he finished with 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting overall.
3 Keys to the Game
- Three-point shooting. The Black Knights live off the three-ball, and it was falling on Tuesday. In all, they hit 19 of their 39 attempts from downtown, with Leung alone making seven. Macau also hit seven threes in that 41-point second quarter to build a sizable lead. In contrast, Titan Ultra made just nine triples.
- Starters. Down to just nine players against Titan, Macau had to mostly rely on a six-man rotation. It didn’t matter, as the starters played superbly, with Leung’s 32 leading the way and Chong Qui adding 23. In all, the Black Knights’ starting five outscored Titan’s, 94-37, as all five players finished in double digits.
- Defense. The Black Knights aren’t known for their defense, but they were solid on that end on Tuesday. In fact, tight defense, along with hot shooting, allowed Macau to break the game wide open in the second, where Leung and company clamped down the Giant Risers to only 16 points.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
San Miguel Beermen vs. Blackwater Bossing (5:15 p.m.)
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Converge FiberXers (7:30 p.m.)
