NorthPort zeroed in on an outright quarterfinals berth and boosted its chances for a semifinals berth by whipping also-ran Blackwater, 106-89, in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Batang Pier closed out the second period with a strong 10-2 run behind Joshua Munzon and rookie John Amores, allowing them to take a 45-35 lead at the turn.
That was just the start of the Batang Pier’s breakaway as the team poured in 39 points in the third quarter to put the game in the bag.
Six players ended up in double figures for the Batang Pier led by Joshua Munzon, who had one of his most productive games since being traded to NorthPort.
Munzon finished with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.
Venky Jois (19), Paul Zamar (13), JM Calma (10), Arvin Tolentino (10), and Kris Rosales (10) also provided precious points for NorthPort.
Following its win, NorthPort notched its sixth win in 10 games.
But there’s a bigger stake coming this Sunday for NorthPort, which faces Barangay Ginebra with a win guaranteeing the squad a twice-to-beat advantage.
The Batang Pier had also put themselves in the running for a possible top four berth and with a 6-4 win-loss record, NorthPort is just half-a-game behind San Miguel and Ginebra, teams tied for fourth to fifth places with identical 6-3 cards.
The Batang Pier defeated the Beermen with an all-Filipino line up, 115-101, last 8 December at the Philsports Arena and a loss by San Miguel against Terrafirma on Sunday will put NorthPort in strong contention for a top four berth.
“We’re on the right track,” said NorthPort coach Bonnie Tan.
“We have a very crucial game this coming Sunday. If we lose on Sunday, we’ll be facing a tougher team. We have to win on Sunday.”
