Pampanga nips Nueva Ecija in OT, meets San Juan in MPBL North finals

MANILA, Philippines — Defending champion Pampanga went through overtime to nip Nueva Ecija, 83-80, late Wednesday and forge a dream North Division title tussle with San Juan in the 6th MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Season at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Homegrown stars MJ Garcia and Encho Serrano canned two free throws each to negate MJ Ayaay's two charities in the dying seconds, enabling the Giant Lanterns to cut short their best-of-three semifinal series, 2-0, before an overflow crowd.

Serrano's two free throws with 11.5 seconds left gave Pampanga an 83-80 lead, and Nueva Ecija failed to extend the game again following a turnover by JC Cullar with 3.4 ticks left.

Nueva Ecija, the 2022 MPBL titlist, forced extra time on a triple by Ayaay, 70-70, with only 2.4 seconds to go.

The Giant Lanterns won't be denied, however, as Archie Concepcion and reigning Most Valuable Player Justine Baltazar joined forces with Garcia and Serrano to suppress the Rice Vanguards in the five-minute extension.

Bucking an aching knee, Serrano wound up with 23 points, five rebounds and three assists to clinch the Daily Fantasy Best Player honors over Concepcion, who tallied 18 points, four assists, four rebounds and two blocks; Baltazar, who registered 10 points, 25 rebounds, four assists and two blocks; and Garcia, who chipped in 10 points — six in overtime, plus five rebounds and three assists.

With Brandon Ramirez snagging 14 rebounds to backstop Baltazar, Pampanga ruled the boards, 67-56.

Pampanga Coach Gov. Dennis Pineda, who was feeling under the weather, said he's going to give the Giant Lanterns a brief rest before plunging back to work in preparation for the repeat best-of-three North Finals against the San Juan Knights, whom they swept, 2-0, last year.

Nueva Ecija got 13 points and nine rebounds from Will McAloney; 11 points from Ayaay, 10 points, eight assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks from JC Cullar; and nine points plus 12 rebounds from Robby Celiz.

San Juan repeated over Caloocan, 86-80, in another semifinal encounter earlier to keep its drive going for the MPBL crown it won in 2019.

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