MANILA — Macau Black Knights stormed into the win column in emphatic fashion, unleashing a second-quarter explosion to dismantle Titan Ultra Giant Risers, 119-107, in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Tuesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The long-awaited breakthrough snapped Macau’s early struggles, as the Black Knights leaned on a blistering offensive surge and balanced scoring to secure their first victory and improve to a 1-7 record.
Jenning Leung spearheaded the offense with 32 points, including seven three-pointers and a four-pointer, to go with three rebounds as the Black Knights improved to a 1-7 record.
Damian Chongqui added 23 markers and nine assists, Tony Mitchell Jr. and Phoenix Shackelford contributed 18 points each, while Jiaoshou Li and Ramon Cao added 11 and 10, respectively, for the Black Knights.
Macau overcame a sluggish start after trailing 24-32 at the end of the first quarter, flipping the game wide open in the second period behind a dominant 41-16 barrage to seize a commanding 65-48 halftime lead.
The Black Knights never looked back, stretching the margin to as many as 22 points in the second half. The Giant Risers mounted a brief rally to cut the deficit to 90-99, but Macau responded with a decisive run to put the game out of reach.
Fran Yu erupted for a career-high 35 points for Titan, Jerrick Balanza added 20 markers, while Joshua Munzon and Michael Gilmore contributed 12 and 11, respectively, as the Giant Risers slipped to a 2-6 slate.
In the other game, Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters dealt Rain or Shine Elasto Painters their first loss of the conference, hacking out an 87-83 victory.
Christian Tyler Tio finished with a conference-high of 16 points, including two three-pointers, to be named Player of the Game as the Fuel Masters improved to a 5-3 win-loss slate.
Jason Perkins led Phoenix with 20 points, James Dickey III posted a double-double of 17 points and 19 rebounds, while Evan Nelle and Ricci Rivero chipped in 12 and 11, respectively.
Adrian Nocum paced Rain or Shine with 20 points, while Jaylen Johnson and Gian Mamuyac had 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the Painters dropped to a 7-1 record./PN
