The San Juan Knights continued their strong start to the season, notching a second straight victory at the expense of the Cebu Greats, who slipped to a 1-1 record.
San Juan leaned on a balanced offensive attack, led by Gerry Abadiano’s game-high 15 points. The Knights saw multiple contributors step up, with Michael Calisaan adding 12 markers and Mike Phillips chipping in nine points along with a dominant presence on the glass. Orlan Wamar and AC Soberano each contributed eight points, highlighting the team’s depth in securing back-to-back wins.
All eyes, however, were on Phillips, who made his much-anticipated MPBL debut following his UAAP Season 88 championship run last December 2025. The former collegiate standout showed flashes of his all-around game, finishing with nine points and a commanding 15 rebounds, immediately making his presence felt in the paint.
On the other side, Cebu leaned heavily on Mark Meneses, who paced his squad with 17 points and 17 rebounds in a strong individual outing. Veteran guard Brian Heruela added 12 points, while Wowie Escosio chipped in 11. Despite these efforts, the Greats struggled to keep pace with San Juan’s depth and defensive pressure.
San Juan’s ability to spread the scoring and control the boards proved to be the difference, as they dictated the tempo for most of the contest. Cebu, meanwhile, will look to regroup after splitting their first two games of the campaign.
With momentum on their side and a prized debut now in the books, the Knights appear to be building early chemistry—one that could make them a serious contender as the MPBL season unfolds.