The Meralco Bolts did just enough on Wednesday to overcome the TNT Tropang 5G, 101-90 in Game 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. With the win, the Bolts leveled their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semis series with the Tropa at two games apiece.
What Happened?
Powered by some hot shooting, Meralco raced out to a 32-23 lead as Patrick Gardner sparked an early offensive explosion, hitting two of the Bolts’ five triples in the opening frame. But, as they’ve done all series long, the Tropa fought back right away, outscoring Meralco, 25-18, in the second quarter to enter halftime just down by two, 50-48.
A tit‑for‑tat third quarter followed, with TNT and Meralco trading baskets and stops en route to a 23-23 stand‑off, allowing the Bolts to take a 73-71 lead into the final frame. Meralco was still just ahead by two, 77-75, when it unleashed a 14-5 run to push the lead to 91-80. That proved to be the separation the Bolts needed to seal Game 4 and tie this series at 2-2.
Who Stood Out?
While the Bolts got a solid 20‑point, 13‑rebound double‑double from new import Patrick Gardner, the contributions of fellow starter CJ Cansino, Javee Mocon, and Aaron Black off the bench were just as critical. Cansino had his best game of the series with 17 points, including a huge four‑pointer in the final minute that quelled TNT’s last‑ditch rally. Mocon, on the other hand, tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Black notched 12.
TNT also drew a solid debut from the returning Chris McCullough, who had 24 points and 9 rebounds. Backing him up were Jordan Heading and Brandon Ganuelas‑Rosser, who both came off the bench to spark TNT. Heading finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Ganuelas‑Rosser put up 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block.
3 Keys to the Game
- Strong fourth. In the first three games, TNT more or less won the fourth quarter. Meralco flipped the script in Game 4, outscoring the Tropa, 28-19, to create enough separation for that seemingly inevitable TNT endgame rally. It certainly helped that Cansino made that four‑point shot with the shot clock running down.
- Points off turnovers. The Bolts won the turnover battle, committing just 12 compared to TNT’s 12. That’s not much of a difference; however, Meralco made the most out of the Tropa’s errors, converting them into 26 points. TNT, in contrast, scored just 10 points off the Bolts’ errors.
- Starters. Meralco’s starters got off to a rousing start to set an early tone. Then, they outplayed their Tropa counterparts the rest of the way, outscoring them, 62-49, as Rey Nambatac didn’t score, and RR Pogoy and Calvin Oftana didn’t put up their usual numbers.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, May 29, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Meralco Bolts (5:15 p.m.)
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (7:30 p.m.)
