Batangas and Imus trounced also-ran opponents on Monday to rev up their drive toward better placings in the coming playoffs of the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Paco Arena in Manila.
The Batangas City Embassy Chill overpowered Laguna Krah Asia, 97-62, to tighten its hold of the second spot in the South division, while the Imus SV Squad routed the Oriental Mindoro Disiplinados, 96-74, in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team, 2-division tournament.
The Athletics raised their record to 21-5, increasing their distance from the GenSan Warriors (20-6) and moving closer toward pacesetter Bacoor City Strikers (22-4).
John Ambulodto and Darwin Lunor contributed double-doubles for the Athletics, who never stopped pounding till the final buzzer.
Ambulodto posted 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Lunor tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Athletics battered the Heroes off the boards, 70-38. Jaycee John Asuncion added 12 points and 7 rebounds for Batangas.
Laguna (3-23) got 18 points and 7 rebounds from Jerome Garcia, 12 points and 4 rebounds from Paolo Pontejos, and 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists from Jason Celis.
Not to be outdone, Imus also pounded Mindoro off the boards, 47-31, en route to a 14-12 card that secured the 7th spot in the 8 teams headed to the South playoffs.
Homegrown Junjie Hallare led Imus with 20 points plus 6 rebounds, Megan Galang with 16 points, Nino Canaleta with 15 and Joseph Penaredondo with 10.
Mindoro skidded to 4-22 despite the near triple-double effort of Paolo Hubalde (20 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists) and the 15-point output of homegrown Rodel Vaygan.
Hubalde also joined the MPBL 1,000-point club and was rewarded by Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes with the ball used to score the clinching points.
Earlier, the Sarangani Marlins thwarted the Bicol Volcanoes, 73-65, to keep their faint hopes of advancing to the playoffs.
Although Sarangani caught up with Iloilo at 11-15, with both teams having two games left to play, the United Royals have the better chances as they have relatively lighter assignments (Rizal and Pasay) than the Marlins (GenSan and Caloocan). Also, if they wound up tied after the eliminations, Iloilo would clinch the eighth and last playoff spot in the South division having beaten Sarangani, 100-98, on July 5.
Sarangani, which led by as far as 65-46, drew 18 points from JC Escalambre, 14 from Narc Poole, 12 from Benjie Jimenez and 10 from Jeff Comia.
Bicol tumbled to a league-worst 1-26 slate despite the 14-point, 11-rebound effort of Denzel Wong and the 10-point, 13-rebound output of Alfren Gayosa.
The MPBL visits the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig on Tuesday with Quezon Province battling Muntinlupa at 4 p.m., Quezon City tackling Pasay at 6 p.m., and Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines testing Pasig at 8 p.m.