The Titan Ultra Giant Risers (1-0) pulled away with a dominant third quarter to secure the first win of the franchise with a 100-96 victory over the Meralco Bolts (0-1). Meanwhile, the shorthanded NLEX Road Warriors (1-0) relied on a balanced attack and escaped with an 85-84 win against the San Miguel Beermen (0-1) on October 8.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Calvin Abueva TIT PF 41 PTS | 7 REB | 1 STL | 46.4 FPS
The Beast completely took over after halftime, dropping 26 points to set a new career high. He was very efficient on offense, hitting 4-of-7 from three and 9-of-10 at the line. The only downside is his 6 turnovers.
Junemar Fajardo SMB C 18 PTS | 15 REB | 4 AST | 42.0 FPS
JMF continued his MVP-level of performance, shooting 70% from two and recording his fifth-straight double-digit rebounding game since last conference, while also collecting 6 offensive rebounds.
Joshua Munzon TIT SG 14 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST | 36.7 FPS
Munzon struggled badly on offense, going 2-for-9 from two and missing all 5 of his three-point attempts. But he made up for it at the line, going 10-for-10 while also making a strong impact in other areas.
Raymond Almazan MER C 16 PTS | 2 STL | 3 BLK | 34.8 FPS
Raymond got their offense going early, putting up 12 points in the first half. Defensively, he also maintained his strong play, averaging 2.3 blocks in his last seven games since last conference.
Celedonio Trollano SMB SF 17 PTS | 5 AST | 3 STL | 33.9 FPS
Trollano struggled on offense for most of the game but he picked it up in the fourth, scoring 11 points including a clutch four-point shot to help his team get back into the game. Last conference, he played a big role in their run, scoring in double-digits in 8 of his last 9 playoff games.
Crispin John Cansino MER SF 22 PTS | 9 REB | 1 STL | 33.3 FPS
Cansino caught fire in the fourth quarter, pouring in 14 points to spark the comeback. He’s shown that he can score at a high level, hitting 20 points in 3 of his last 9 games since last conference.
John Bryle Bahio NLX PF 12 PTS | 5-9 FG | 12 REB | 30.9 FPS
Bahio struggled at the free-throw line, going just 2-for-7, but he made up for it with his strong play inside. In the previous conference, he averaged double-digit points and nearly eight rebounds per game.
Jonnel Policarpio NLX PF 16 PTS | 6-9 FG | 2 STL | 26.6 FPS
Policarpio stepped up with their key players unavailable, scoring 12 points in the second half while bringing great energy on both ends of the floor. However, his playing time remains inconsistent, and he continues to struggle with foul trouble.
Marcio Lassiter SMB SF 8 PTS | 5 REB | 3 STL | 23.5 FPS
Lassiter came off the bench but instantly made an impact, knocking down 2 threes and notching 2 steals in just the first quarter.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Chris Banchero MER PG 6 PTS | 2 AST | 3 TO
Banchero couldn’t find his rhythm in this contest. In his last five games in the previous conference, he averaged 19 points per game, including going off for 32 points against SMB in the playoffs.
