Cardona shines anew as Knights oust Capitals, reach North finals

Getting another lease on his career, Mac Cardona is turning the MPBL Datu Cup playoffs into a showcase of his undeniable talent.

Rejuvenated and focused, the former PBA scoring champion delivered another stellar performance as the San Juan Knights overwhelmed Quezon City Capitals, 106-81, to become the first team to reach the North division finals at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

A couple of days after hitting 25 points in the 94-86 Game 1 win, Cardona surpassed his MPBL career-best with 26 points that went with seven rebounds and eight assists as the Knights swept the Capitals in their best of three semifinal series.

John Wilson also caught fire for the Knights as the ex NCAA Most Valuable Player finished with 19 points, including 13 in the second half where San Juan pulled away in front of another huge home crowd.

“Mac (Cardona) can still dominate the game if he wants to,” said San Juan coach Randy Alcantara. “He just gets distracted by calls and his teammates sometimes but we in the team know what he’s capable of as a player. We know he can help take us to the next level.”

The Capitals were still on top, 49-48, early in the third period, before Cardona’s hustle plays sparked the turnaround. Wilson found his range in the fourth quarter, where he and Cardona combined for 18 points.