San Juan Knights play Patriots minus Castillo

Andok’s San Juan will play minus forward Gilbert Castillo as the Knights take on the Nueva Ecija Patriots today in the 2001 MBA season second phase at the San Juan Gym.

MBA commissioner Butch Antonio suspended Castillo for a game for punching TPG-Davao’s Richard Caliao in their recent game. The former Pasig-Rizal Pirate was also fined P7,000.

TPG-Davao players Ryan Bernardo, Gilbert Maloloy-on and Bong Marata, and Fedex Laguna’s Jerome Barbosa and Rolly Menor also drew fines from the Commissioner’s Office for separate offenses.

Andok’s San Juan will miss Castillo but remains the odds-on pick against Nueva Ecija in their 3 p.m. tiff. Cebuana Lhuillier and Fedex Laguna collide in the other game at 5:30 p.m. at the Cebu Coliseum.

Cebu stunned Southern Conference pacesetter Negros, 83-78, to notch its first win in three outings the last time out while Laguna thrashed Davao, 142-107, for its third win in five games. – Joey Villar