The Meralco Bolts got their PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign off to a spectacular start with a 109-88 beating of the Converge FiberXers on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
What Happened?
A game-opening triple from Meralco’s Chris Newsome set up an early exchange of baskets that saw the two teams tied at 13. An 8-0 spurt gave Converge the early lead, which it extended to 36-26 early in the second canto. But the Bolts went on a 15-3 run to regain the lead, 41-39, before ending the first half up, 48-45.
Meralco started asserting control after halftime, extending the lead to 60-52 early in the third and to 68-54 at the midway mark of the quarter. The Bolts wouldn’t let up, pushing the lead to 77-57 before ending the quarter ahead, 79-65. A 9-4 start to the fourth seemed to hint at a possible comeback for Converge, which cut the lead somewhat to 83-74. But Meralco answered with a 10-4 burst to reestablish control on its way to the blowout win.
Who Stood Out?
The Bolts got electric performances from all around, but the trio of import Marvin Jones, Chris Newsome, and CJ Cansino proved to be a handful. Jones, a last-minute replacement for Ismael Romero, led all scorers with 29 points to go along with 8 rebounds. Cansino, meanwhile, was the top local scorer with 23 points on two four-pointers. Newsome, for his part, had 19 markers spiked by 5-for-9 shooting from distance.
Carrying the fight for Converge were old reliables Alec Stockton and Justin Arana. Stockton fired a team-high 18, while Arana had 16 points and 11 rebounds for a FiberXers squad that sorely lacked the playmaking brilliance of Juan Gomez de Liaño. The super rookie was sidelined by a right knee contusion.
3 Keys to the Game
- Red-hot shooting. The Bolts were electrifying on Wednesday, shooting an absurd 53.8% overall on 46.4% from the three-point arc. They also got Cansino’s 2-for-2 clip from four-point territory in the fourth that slammed the door on Converge. Newsome, meanwhile, was 5-for-9 from downtown, with Cansino going 3-for-4.
- Defense. Meralco showed out on both ends against Converge. While the Bolts were torching the net, they were also swarming the FiberXers, forcing them into tough shots that resulted in a paltry 38.0% clip from the field. The Bolts’ defense was particularly unforgiving in the middle two quarters, where they limited Converge to just 38 points.
- Interior scoring. Part of the reason Meralco shot so well is that they consistently got to the paint, whether it was Jones attacking, Cansino driving, or Brandon Bates getting free inside. This interior play gave the Bolts a 52-34 advantage in points in the paint, which would’ve been higher if not for Arana’s solid game.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, March 20, 2026 | Ynares Center Antipolo
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (5:00 p.m.)
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Macau Black Knights (7:30 p.m.)
