Caloocan and Pasay made sure the MPBL regular season ended on a high note, powering past their respective rivals on September 22 to close out the elimination round. Batang Kankaloo outdueled Zamboanga Sikat before the Pasay Voyagers overwhelmed Pasig City, setting the stage for a high-stakes postseason showdown with a finals berth now within reach.
Batang Kankaloo vs. Zamboanga Sikat
The final day opened with the intense basketball matchup between Batang Kankaloo and Zamboanga Sikat. Zamboanga led 76–73 upon entering the last stretch of the game, but Caloocan’s Jeff Manday responded strongly by hitting a three-pointer and additional free throws, followed by Eric Camson’s two free throws to put Caloocan ahead.
With 82-78, Batang Kankaloo claimed victory over Zamboanga. The win made Caloocan settle for third place in the North Division and head straight to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Zamboanga placed ninth overall in the South Division, proceeding to the play-in tournament.
Pasay City vs. Pasig Voyagers
Following Caloocan’s win over Zamboanga, the spotlight turned to Pasay and Pasig for the second final game. Throughout the game, Pasay Voyagers surged in the middle quarters and held on for the win, as Pasig continued to fight back. Pasay later capped the game with a 78-69 victory over Pasig.
Key players such as Lennard Santiago, Cyril Gonzales and Christian Fajarito posted massive points to lift Pasay’s score. Best Player awardee Gonzales tallied 17 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists, while Santiago added 18 points, 4 rebounds, and two steals, and Fajarito brought a total of 14 points.
Pasay Voyagers ended up in fourth place, while Pasig went eighth in the North Division. As the MPBL concludes the elimination stage, teams ranked seventh to tenth place will enter the play-in tournament, while the top six teams will advance directly to the play-offs and gear up to chase the championship.