Here are the players who made the biggest impact on July 22 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Darius Days TNT SF 21 PTS | 6 REB | 1 BLK
Days was off to a hot start against Titan, hitting three straight three-pointers in the first two minutes of the game. He added two more for the rest of the contest to lead all players in three-pointers made. Despite that, his overall offensive output remained modest after shooting just 2-for-6 on two-point attempts. Although he has been a positive contributor in both of his games so far, the team will certainly need a much more dominant version of him moving forward.
Roger Ray Pogoy TNT SF 10 PTS | 7 AST | 3 STL
Pogoy started the conference with a strong 20-point performance but he couldn’t match that level today, converting only 4 of his 11 attempts from the field and failing to connect on any of his four three-point shots. Although he found ways to help the team, TNT will need him to be a more reliable scoring threat, especially with the team missing several players.
Kim Cyril Aurin TNT SF 11 PTS | 4 REB | 1 AST
This was another solid offensive outing for the forward. Through his first two games, he’s been sharp from two-point range, going 7-for-9 and averaging 10.0 points. With several key players sidelined, Aurin should continue to handle a much bigger role in the rotation.
Tirrell Dwayne Brown II TIT PF 29 PTS | 10 REB | 3 STL
The Titan import put up an elite all-around performance against TNT. Inside the paint, he was simply dominant, going 11-for-16 on two-pointers while pulling down a game-high in rebounds. Through his first two games, Brown has given the team quality production, and he will need to continue carrying a heavy load to help the squad recover from its slow start.
Jerrick John Balanza TIT SF 13 PTS | 7 REB | 1 BLK
Inserted into the starting lineup against TNT, Balanza came up big offensively, going a perfect 5-for-5 from two-point range for his first double-digit scoring game of the conference. In the Commissioner’s Cup, he reached that mark four times.
Aristotle Dionisio TIT PF 10 PTS | 2 STL | 1 BLK
The veteran forward was instrumental in the win, contributing on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he finally found his range, shooting 3-of-6 from deep after going 1-of-9 in his previous two outings.
John Bryan Sajonia TIT SG 13 PTS | 3 REB | 1 AST
So far in this conference, the shooting guard has been reliable offensively for Titan, averaging 11.8 points per game. Though he struggled from three-point range today, missing all three of his attempts, he made up for it by going a perfect 2-for-2 from the four-point line. Sajonia has quietly become a key contributor for the team, and they’ll definitely need more performances like this from him.
George King SMB SG 41 PTS | 11 REB | 3 STL
The San Miguel import was his usual dominant self, finishing with at least 30 points for the third straight game and leading all players in scoring with a new conference-high. Having already proven his elite scoring pedigree with multiple 40-point games during his previous stints with Blackwater, King looks like he’s just getting started.
Jaymar Perez SMB SG 31 PTS | 4 REB | 1 STL
Offensively, Perez was outstanding. He set the tone early with a 12-point first quarter before dropping 16 in the third to set a new conference-best. He was highly efficient, shooting 70% from the field, including a crisp 4-of-5 from deep, which is a sharp turnaround after hitting just 1-of-7 over his first two games.
Marcio Lassiter SMB SG 18 PTS | 4 REB | 1 STL
Lassiter struggled to start the conference but he finally broke through today, finishing as one of the game’s top scorers. He was red-hot at the end of the second quarter, firing eight quick points to give his team the lead.
June Mar Fajardo SMB C 10 PTS | 9 REB | 2 BLK
Though this performance wasn’t quite up to his usual standard, the nine-time MVP still made his mark on both ends of the floor. More importantly, it was a strong indication that he’s recovering well from his injury and it shouldn’t be long before he’s back to his elite level.
Justin Arana CON C 29 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST
The big man continues to thrive on offense, narrowly missing his third consecutive 30-point game while shooting an outstanding 74% from two over that span. With the way he’s playing, Arana looks ready to establish himself among the league’s top players.
Justine Baltazar CON PF 16 PTS | 12 REB | 4 AST
The forward was nearly unstoppable in the paint, missing just once on eight two-point attempts. He was equally impressive on defense, leading all players in rebounds to go along with two blocks. The strong display marked his 18th double-double of the season.
Alec John Stockton CON 14 PTS | 7 AST | 1 STL
Stockton was highly effective on the offensive end, shooting 50% from the field with three 3-pointers while also topping all players in assists. In the previous conference, he was just as dependable, recording at least 13 points in eight of his first 10 games.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Rey Benedict Nambatac TNT SG 5 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST
The TNT guard was excellent offensively in their conference opener. But he couldn’t match that level today, converting just 2-for-8 from the field. Shooting inconsistency continues to be a major issue for Nambatac, much like in the previous conference where he managed just 5.5 points per game.
