THE heat is on in the 2026 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Preseason Invitational — and the young guns are showing out.
At the packed Pasay Astrodome, the Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters and the San Juan Knights kept their unbeaten streaks alive, climbing to 3-0 in the race toward the MPBL’s eighth season.
Batangas flexed serious muscle in a dominant 100-80 takedown of the Gensan Warriors. With new recruits Jhan Nermal and Ino Comboy leading the charge, the Rum Masters owned the boards, 44-22, and built a massive 25-point lead. Nermal dropped 15 points to snag Best Player honors, while Comboy matched him with 15 of his own. Support came from Jeckster Apinan, Ced Ablaza, and Kraniel Viloria — proving Batangas has depth and firepower.
Meanwhile, the San Juan Knights showed clutch composure, escaping the Ilagan Isabela Warriors, 85-82. Down late, the Knights flipped the script with a 7-2 finishing run powered by Garry Abadiano and Michael Calisaan. That’s the kind of late-game grit that wins championships.
In the nightcap, Caloocan Batang Kankaloo locked down defensively, holding the Pasay Voyagers to just three points in the final five minutes to secure a 71-63 bounce-back win.
More action rolls into the Paco Arena, as the next wave of contenders battle for momentum.
If this preseason is any sign, the MPBL’s eighth season is about to be next-level.| – BNN Integrated News
