The Meralco Bolts continued their bid for a top-four finish in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with a breezy 108-93 victory over the Blackwater Bossing on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It is Meralco’s seventh win against three defeats, which is good enough for fourth place at the moment. The loss is Blackwater’s ninth this conference, putting them tied with the Macau Black Knights at 2-9 for the worst record so far.
What Happened?
The Bolts scored the game’s first five points, surrendered the lead at 16-13 on Robert Upshaw III’s 4-pointer, and then outscored the Bossing, 22-9, the rest of the way to take a 35-25 lead after 12 minutes. Blackwater then went point-for-point with Meralco in the second, where each team fired 26 points, to enter halftime down by ten, 61-51.
Meralco then seized control with a 26-16 third quarter powered by 11 combined points from CJ Cansino and Marvin Jones. Up 87-67 heading into the final frame, the Bolts cruised as Bong Quinto, Javee Mocon, and Aaron Black helped extend the lead early in the fourth.
Who Stood Out?
Marvin Jones’ 26-point, 12-rebound double-double led the way for Meralco, which also drew solid games from CJ Cansino (12 points, 6 rebounds), Chris Newsome (10 points, 4 dimes), Chris Banchero (14 points, 8 assists), Quinto (12 points), and Black (11 points).
Blackwater, on the other hand, had to lean heavily on Upshaw, who finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds but had little help. Sedrick Barefield had 16 markers and 5 dimes but was hampered by foul trouble all game long, ultimately committing his sixth early in the fourth.
3 Keys to the Game
- Defense. The Bolts swarmed the Bossing on defense, holding them to a paltry 38.2% from the field and forcing them to commit 19 turnovers. The latter resulted in a 20-6 advantage in points off turnovers for Meralco and exacerbated Blackwater’s bad shooting night.
- Bench play. Between Banchero, Black, and Quinto, the Bolts already had 37 points off the bench, nearly equaling the 41 points of Blackwater’s reserves. Importantly, those points were the impactful kind, as they were mostly scored to give Meralco the lead or to extend it.
- Execution. Meralco continued its sharp execution on offense, breaking down the Bossing defense with ball and player movement. The Bolts’ 26 assists, as opposed to Blackwater’s 15, proved as much as Cansino and company kept getting good looks.
Next Up for the PBA
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
NLEX Road Warriors vs. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (5:15 p.m.)
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Magnolia Hotshots (7:30 p.m.)
