Author: John Michael Decierdo Agustin
Photo Credit: MPBL
The San Juan Knights and the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo both swept the quarterfinals en route to a spot in the semifinal round in the north division of the 2024 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Playoffs. What’s even more interesting is that No.1 San Juan is set to go head-to-head against No.5 Caloocan in the semis.
The Knights destroyed the Rizal Coolers in game 2, 82-70, marking a clean sweep in the best-of-three series. Mike Calisaan led San Juan to victory, garnering 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals, while shooting a highly efficient 90% from the field. Orlan Wamar Jr. and Nikko Pollo Panganiban chipped in 11 points apiece.
Rizal had a tough time trying to secure a spot in the playoffs, but managed to steal the no.8 seed in the North, only to run through the best team in the league. Surprisingly, the Coolers were one of the only two teams that beat the Knights in the regular season. However, their postseason run ended in front of the 2019 MPBL champion squad.
Meanwhile, Caloocan Hangs by a Thread to Beat the Slaughter-less Manila, 67-66
Greg Slaughter was not able to raise Manila’s banner in game 2 after a 1-game suspension following his ejection in game 1. Caloocan, however, took this opportunity to sweep Manila and advance to the next round.
The player of the game, Jeramer Cabanag, finished with 15 points, 3 assists, and 8 rebounds. No other Kankaloo player scored double digits.
Manila almost took the dub. With less than 8 seconds left to play, the SV Batang Sampaloc had two chances to take the lead. Unfortunately, Carl Bryan Cruz missed both crucial plays.
As the No.5 Batang Kankaloo advances, they’ll face the top contender in the league in the semis. Last year, Caloocan also had the chance to reach the semis, but immediately had to go through the eventual champions, the Pampanga Giant Lanterns. This time, they’ll hit the stage with the No.1 team in the North, the San Juan Knights.
The Scores:
- San Juan Knights vs. Rizal Xentro Mall Golden Coolers (80-72)
- Caloocan Batang Kankaloo vs. Manila SV Batang Sampaloc (67-66)
