Meralco Bolts Shock Magnolia Hotshots in Nail-Biter, Extend Win Streak to Three

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by Lou Reyes

CJ Cansino (71) goes up for a layup against Magnolia defenders.
CJ Cansino (71) goes up for a layup against Magnolia defenders. Photo: PBA Images.

The Meralco Bolts just keep finding ways to win. 

Despite nearly blowing a massive lead, the Bolts dug deep in crunch time to edge out the Magnolia Hotshots, 78-76, in a thrilling PBA Philippine Cup showdown Sunday night at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

From an 18-point cushion in the third quarter to a heart-stopping final minute, the Bolts proved their grit — pulling off their third straight victory while handing Magnolia its first loss of the conference. It was a fitting end to what Coach Luigi Trillo called their “Hell Week” — three games in seven days, all ending in hard-earned wins.

“We just kept grinding,” Trillo said postgame. “The guys showed character. It’s not always going to be pretty, but we’ll take wins like this any day.”

Leading the charge was CJ Cansino, who once again played beyond his years with 23 points and six rebounds, carrying Meralco through clutch stretches when Magnolia made its furious comeback. Aaron Black backed him up with 17 points and five boards, while the ever-reliable Bong Quinto chipped in 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists — including key free throws down the stretch that sealed the deal.

Chris Newsome (1) shoots a jumper over a Magnolia defender.
Chris Newsome (1) shoots a jumper over a Magnolia defender. Photo: PBA Images.

On defense, Brandon Bates made his presence felt in the paint with 15 rebounds and three blocks, standing tall against Magnolia’s frontcourt in one of his finest PBA games to date.

The Bolts looked well on their way to a blowout, but Magnolia refused to fold. Zavi Lucero, cold for most of the night, suddenly caught fire late, draining back-to-back triples to put the Hotshots up 72-71 with under a minute left. The crowd erupted as momentum shifted, but Cansino and Quinto calmly sank their free throws to swing the game back to Meralco.

With the clock winding down, Jerom Lastimosa had a clean look from deep that could’ve stolen it for Magnolia, but it clanged off the rim, allowing Meralco to breathe a massive sigh of relief.

The Scores:

Meralco 78 - Cansino 23, Black 17, Quinto 11, Bates 7, Hodge 7, Newsome 6, Banchero 3, Almazan 2, Pascual 2, Maliksi 0.

Magnolia 76 - Lastimosa 22, Lucero 14, Escoto 11, Barroca 11, Gomez de Liano 5, Laput 4, Sangalang 4, Dela Rosa 3, Lee 2, Dionisio 0, Alfaro 0. 

Quarterscores: 20-7, 32-25, 53-51, 78-76