HEIGHT is might in basketball.

Subalit kinailangan pa din ng

Manila ang mahusay na laro ng kanilang point guard na si Enzo Navarro para pataubin ang Iloilo, 98-74, sa MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season sa Villar Coliseum sa Las Pinas.

Ang 5-8 Navarro ay nagpasikat sa kanyang 22 points, kabilang ang 7-of-10 shooting mula sa three-point area, nine assists, seven rebounds at two steals.

Dahil dito, napili si Navarro na “Best Player of the Game”, na kung saan nangusan niya ang kanyang mga higanteng teammates na sina 7-0 Greg Slaughter, 6-7 Rabeh Al-Hussaini at 6-4 Carl Bryan Cruz.

Ito ang ika-limang sunod na panalo ng Manila at 10-4 record overall sa 29-team, two-division tournament na itinataguy9d ni Sen. Manny Pacquiao sa tulong ni Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes.

Nakatulong ni Navarro sina Cruz (14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists); Slaughter (12 points, 11 rebounds, three assists); at Hussaini (14 points, eight rebounds) para sa Manila, na lumamang pa ng 89-61 laban sa Iloilo.

Ang United Royals, na bumagsak sa 5-8, ay nakatanggap ng 18 points at four rebounds mula kay Gwyne Capacio, 14 points at five rebounds mula kay Shaquille Imperial, at 12 points, six rebounds at two assists mula kay Clint Doliguez.

The scores:

Manila (98) — Navarro 22, Cruz 14, Al-Hussaini 14, Slaughter 12, Javelona 9, Escandor 8, Jamon 6, J.Gonzaga 4, Tempra 2, Hanapi 2, Sena 2 Umali 2, Battller 1, T.Gonzaga 0, Flores 0.

Iloilo (74) — Capacio 18, Imperial 14, Doliguez 12, Catapusan 6, Kapunan 5, Gomez 5, Nonoy 5, Santos 4, Madrigal 3, Javelosa 2, Berjay 0, De La Rosa 0, Beltran 0, Rangel 0, Diaz 0.

Quarterscores: 17-18, 54-35, 78-58, 98-74.