Manila Stars break MPBL scoring records

BACOOR, CAVITE, Philippines — Manila-Frontrow had a record-setting night Monday when it took on Mindoro-JAC Liner in the Chooks-to-Go/MPBL Lakan Season.

With their 133-101 victory over the Tamaraws, the Stars eclipsed the previous high of 125 set by Navotas-Unipak Sardines and erased other marks in the process.

Exploiting their superiority under the board, the Stars scored 94 points inside the paint, surpassing the 90 set by Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines, scored 55 on the break, erasing Zamboanga’s 36, and dumped 39 points in the fourth quarter, also a new MPBL standard.

The victory also raised Manila’s record to 23-5 in the Northern Division, clinching homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

And steering the Stars in this romp was Chris Bitoon.

Widely known as a lethal scorer, the product of St. Clare displayed a different facet of his game, showcasing his playmaking wonders as he delivered a career-high 12 assists while tallying eight points, eight rebounds and two steals.

“Yun ang laging sinasabi sa akin ng coaches, na okay na ako sa scoring so kailangan kong maging leader inside the court. Kailangan kong maikot yung bola at ma-guide ang team ko,” said Bitoon, who’s just 24 years old.

It’s only the second time this season Bitoon reached double-digits in assists, with the first one against the GenSan Warriors in their fourth match.

Bitoon working on his playmaking skills other than just scoring is what Manila head coach Tino Pinat ordered for him to be more dangerous in the offensive end.

“Kailangan talaga mag-explore si Chris sa play niya. Maganda yun para sa team namin kasi mas nagiging balanse,” said Pinat, a former Letran Knight.