Looking at the Bataan Risers’ win over Pasig

It is all smiles for Achie Iñigo and the Bataan Risers after beating the Pasig Pirates to finish with the MPBL's best elimination round record (23-2) and homecourt advantage throughout the play-offs.

Looking at the Bataan Risers’ win over Pasig

by rick olivares

It is a rousing end to a fantastic, historic, and most incredible regular season for the Bataan Risers.

In their final game of the elimination round, they plastered the Pasig Pirates, 105-87, to finish with a 23-2 record. Best in the league and with a nine-match win streak. They barge into the play-offs on a winning note. And a full crew.

Robbie Celiz returned to the team giving head coach Jojo Lastimosa a near full crew. The only ones missing are Barkley Eboña who will be activated for the play-offs and Ervin Grospe who is still on the mend after a season-ending knee injury in only the first game of the season.

Now, after a seemingly interminable elimination round, the Risers have taken the next step to scaling the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League summit.

And how.

Five straight triples to open the game? 

Talk about shooting woes. On the road at the Navotas Sports Complex, Pamboy Raymundo, Byron Villarias, and Gab Dagangon finding the range. Then Robbie Celiz scoring two straight buckets. Bernie Bregondo ending the first period with a huge block on Rodan Reducto. What a statement.

And how about those free throws? 11-15. Not bad. And the overall field goal percentage was at 50%. Talk about humming.

The proud Pirates with their cadre of PBA veterans battled back in a much closer second half. The first half cushion helped ward off the Pirates. The second half was more grind it out basketball. And the Risers can play both ways – run and gun and half-court/pound-it-inside. 

We will say this again… when Bataan lost Jeepy Faundo and Jayjay Alejandro to the PBA, there was concern of who will be brought in to replace their output. We said back then that Gab’s presence would alleviate that. We have seen the explosions he detonated while playing for the Perpetual Help Altas alongside Scottie Thompson and Bright Akhuetie. 

Gab thrives in a team where the spotlight doesn’t have to be on him. He does all the little things too – hustles on defense, rebounds, passes. 

To illustrate that, he scored a game high 26 points on 83% shooting, grabbed three boards, and pilfered the ball once. 

He has stepped into the starting five and given the Risers a massive lift. Even without Gary David for the game, Bataan was a handful. Four of the five starters scored in double digits. Villarias had 13, Raymundo scored 12, and Alfred Batino chipped in 10. Celiz came off the bench to chip in 13. 

Bataan shooting well and rebounding well has been a hallmark of many of their wins especially in these dog days of the season. However, one stat that any coach would be proud of is the assist total. Sure, the assist total can be misleading because the extra passes could be there but not the shooting.

In this game, Pasig passed for 22 assists. A huge number already. Bataan? Thirty-five Yes, 35 assists.

Achie Iñigo, oft left to grapple for playing time with the late season addition of Yvan Ludovice, had a game high six assists. Raymundo and Richard Escoto added five apiece while Vince Tolentino and Ludovice chalked up four each. 

Now, this is a team firing on all cylinders.