Pampanga Giant Lanterns Edge San Juan Knights 84-81 in Gritty MPBL Battle

SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA — Before a raucous hometown crowd at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center, the Pampanga Giant Lanterns weathered a furious fourth-quarter charge from the San Juan Knights to secure an 84-81 victory in the MPBL North Division playoffs.

Dynamic guard Encho Serrano proved unstoppable down the stretch, driving into the teeth of the San Juan defense to convert an acrobatic reverse layup with 18.4 seconds left on the clock. San Juan had an opportunity to tie, but Orlan Wamar’s contested step-back triple bounced off the back iron as time expired.

Defending the Home Floor

Pampanga established control early with relentless full-court trapping, forcing San Juan into 19 turnovers that translated into 24 fast-break points. Big man Justine Baltazar posted an imposing double-double with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists, while anchoring Pampanga's interior defense.

"In the MPBL playoffs, every possession feels like life or death," said Pampanga head coach Gov. Dennis Pineda. "San Juan is a championship-tested organization with veteran leadership, but our boys stayed composed under pressure."

San Juan's Late Push Falls Short

San Juan fought back from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter behind Michael Calisaan’s tough scoring in the paint and AC Soberano’s timely outside shooting. Calisaan finished with 21 points and 9 boards, while Wamar tallied 14 points and 8 assists.

Game 2 shifts to the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan, where the Knights must win to extend the series to a decisive Game 3.