Make it two wins out of three now for the Magnolia Hotshots after they beat the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday, 95-89, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Dating back to Magnolia’s final eliminations game, LA Tenorio had challenged his team to beat the Bolts, and now they’ve done it twice in a row. They’ll go for a third—and the semis—on Saturday when two knockouts games for semis seats in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup will be up for grabs.
What Happened?
Meralco and Magnolia engaged in a tightly fought first quarter, trading leads six times before the Hotshots ended the opening frame with a 24-22 lead. It was much the same in the second quarter until Magnolia finished the half strong with a 13-4 burst to enter intermission up, 50-40.
The Hotshots continued their strong play in the third quarter, keeping the lead in double digits and pushing it up to as much as 16 in the tail end of the third as Ian Sangalang scored eight straight at one point. Meralco, though, fought back in the final frame, tying things up at 80 with a 16-4 run and even taking the lead at 84-83. Jerom Lastimosa then tied the game again at 84 before Clint Chapman gave Magnolia back the lead with a booming triple. That trey at the 2:37 mark proved to be the go-ahead basket as the Hotshots protected their lead in the final seconds.
Who Stood Out?
Lastimosa starred for the Hotshots on Wednesday, making big buckets in the fourth on his way to an efficient 17-point night. Zavier Lucero also contributed big time for Magnolia, hitting a key basket down the stretch to cap off his all-around game of 9 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 4 blocks. He also helped limit Meralco import Marvin Jones to 3-for-15 shooting with his usual fantastic defense.
For Meralco, Chris Newsome showed he still has plenty left, leading the Bolts’ fourth-quarter charge on his way to a 23-point outing spiked by 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Unfortunately, he got little help from his teammates.
3 Keys to the Game
- Defense. Lucero’s masterclass on Jones set the tone defensively for the Hotshots, whose active, swarming defense forced the Bolts to just 39.7% shooting. That defense was particularly stout in the middle quarters, where Magnolia surrendered a combined 35 points while scoring 49 of their own.
- Three-point shooting. Magnolia didn’t necessarily make it rain from deep on Wednesday, but they hit 8 of their 12 three-point attempts—including Chapman’s go-ahead triple in the fourth. Meralco, in contrast, hit only 3 treys on 19 attempts. That’s a 15-point difference.
- Ball movement. Tenorio wants that ball moving on offense, and it was certainly going around for Magnolia on Wednesday night. This was most evident in the middle quarters, where the Hotshots kept finding the open man to pile up the points and build the lead. Overall, Magnolia finished with 21 dimes as opposed to only 7 for the Bolts.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, May 15, 2026 | Ynares Center Antipolo
San Miguel Beermen vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (5:15 p.m.)
Phoenix Fuel Masters vs. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
