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| Jun Manzo dropped 29 points on Opening Night. LA Arcin |
BINAN--Jun Manzo chose the right time to put up his biggest explosion in the pro ranks as he led Cebu to an 81-65 rout of Rizal at the start of the MPBL's eighth season on Friday night at the Alonte Sports Arena.
Known for being more of a facilitator ever since his amateur days, Manzo caught fire with 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting to lead the Greats to the huge win in the first South Division battle of the year.
The former University of the Philippines star went 5-for-11 from long range, highlighted by back-to-back threes in the second quarter that sparked Cebu's breakaway from Rizal.
Manzo's longtime tag team partner, Paul Desiderio, added 11 points, two rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Wowie Escosio also tallied 11 markers with four rebounds and two steals off the bench.
The anticipated playing return of Dondon Hontiveros did not happen at all as neither he nor his son Ice was in attendance during the game and the preceding opening ceremonies.
Laurenz Victoria and JP Maguliano each had 11 points off the bench for Rizal, which struggled to get huge numbers from its starters.
Meanwhile, San Juan did not mind not having Mike Phillips for now, as it quickly deposed Pasay, 90-61, in the North Division opener at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
Gerry Abadiano had his own bright moment with 14 points on 5-of-8 field goals, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, with two rebounds, one assist, and one steal to lead the Knights, who blew the game wide open on a whim by racing to a 26-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Dexter Maiquez added 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, three rebounds, one block, and one steal for San Juan, which opted not to quickly activate Phillips as he only arrived on Wednesday night.
Phillips is expected to make his pro debut next Wednesday when the Knights clash with the Greats at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.
No Voyager made it to double digits, with Nico Quinal the high-point man with a relatively quiet nine markers on 3-of-6 three-point shooting alongside two steals.
