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MANILA, Philippines — The Rizal Xentromall Golden Coolers stretched their hot streak by drubbing the Mindoro Tamaraws, 77-61, on Tuesday and sharing the lead in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL Season 2025 at the Ynares Center 2 Montalban in Rizal Province.
Powered by Michael Canete and Keanu Caballero, the Golden Coolers led by as far as 77-53 before cruising to their fifth straight win and joining the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards at the top of the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Canete tallied 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block while the 5-foot-6 Caballero posted 13 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal to clinch Best Player honors in the nightcap of a triple-bill.
Eric Joseph Pili provided help with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists, and so did Eric Cammson with eight points and nine rebounds, making the Golden Coolers among the favorites to secure playoff berths in the two-division regional league.
Mindoro, which tumbled to 1-5, got 17 points and nine rebounds from Jonas Tibayan, and 10 points plus two rebounds from Ethan Galang.
The Davao Occidental Tigers nipped the Paranaque Patriots, 70-66, in a battle between debuting teams.
Paranaque led at 66-65 on two free throws by Paolo Castro with 41.7 seconds to go, but was unable to convert its last possessions.
Davao, on the other hand, regained control on a follow-up by Wowie Escosio, a charity by Tricky Don Peromingan, then sealed win with two more charities by Justin Alano with 4.5 ticks left.
Valandre Chauca struck for Davao with 16 points, two rebounds and two assists, followed by homegrown Allan Beltran with 12 points and four rebounds, and Jefferson Comia with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Paranaque lost despite the 21-point, 10-rebound, six-assist, three-steal effort of Carl Bryan Cruz, and the 17-point, seven-rebound, five-assist output of John Paul Calvo.
The Muntinlupa Cagers also made an instant impact with a 104-78 dumping of the Bulacan Kuyas in the opener.
After Bulacan scored the first three points, Muntinlupa bunched 22 in a span of six minutes and never eased up to hand the Kuyas their sixth straight defeat.
Mart James Barrera notched 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Buenaventura Raflores posted 18 points, four rebounds and three assists for the Cagers, who ruled the boards, 54-41, through Mark Sarangay and Dom Matillano with 11 and 10 rebounds, respectively.
Other Cagers who delivered were John Cantimbuhan with 13 points, seven assists, two rebounds and two steals; and Marvin Hayes with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Muntinlupa also struck from afar with a high of 11 from 22 tries, with Raflores drilling in 3-of-5, Cantimbuhan 2-of-3, and Barrera 2-of-4.
Bulacan got 30 points, three assists and two rebounds from John Rey Sumido and 14 points, 11 rebounds and three assists from Art Aquino.
MPBL Founder and Chairman Manny Pacquiao motored to this upland, first-class town to watch the league's first sortie in the 8,000-seat venue inaugurated on March 4.
Meanwhile, the league goes to WES Arena in Valenzuela on Wednesday with another triple-header pitting Quezon City against Ilagan Isabela on 4 p.m., Marikina against Zamboanga at 6 p.m., and Binan against Valenzuela at 8 p.m.
