The Meralco Bolts shot lights out on Saturday to overwhelm the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 122-114, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The win evens up the Bolts’ PBA Governors’ Cup record to 1-1, while the loss sends the Elasto Painters to 0-2.
What Happened?
Meralco and Rain or Shine got off to strong starts, with Deo Cuajao (13 points) and Brandon Bates (7 points) shining early. After one, the Elasto Painters were up by two, 34-32. Scoring slowed down in the second, where Rain or Shine fired 26 to the Bolts’ 22 for a 60-54 lead entering intermission.
Meralco then caught fire after the break, going off for 41 points in the third while holding down Rain or Shine to 23. In all, the Bolts fired five triples in that quarter and a pair of four-pointers from Chris Banchero to take a 95-83 lead into the final frame. Back-to-back triples to start the fourth moved Rain or Shine to within 95-89, but Meralco answered with nine straight to push the lead back to 104-89. That blitz proved enough as the closest the Elasto Painters could get the rest of the way was within eight.
Who Stood Out?
Jason Brickman played one of his best games for the Bolts so far, tallying 19 points spiked by three treys to go along with his 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Chris Banchero and Bong Quinto also provided support for Meralco off the bench, combining for 29 points spiked with three triples and three four-pointers (all from Banchero, all in the second half).
Rain or Shine drew strong games from Adrian Nocum and Deo Cuajao. Nocum, tasked as the primary ball handler with the recent trade of Gian Mamuyac, responded with 21 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals, while Cuajao fired 19 markers spiked with a trio of treys and a four-ball.
3 Keys to the Game
- Three-point shooting. Both Rain or Shine and Meralco shot lights out from distance on Saturday, with the former going 12-for-26 and the latter shooting 13-for-27. But the Bolts got hot at the right time, going off in that 41-point third quarter powered by five triples. Add to that the three four-pointers of Banchero.
- Offensive rebounds. The Bolts had a massive 46-30 edge over Rain or Shine in rebounding, but their 14 offensive rebounds to the Elasto Painters’ 2 were particularly important as those resulted in extra possessions and kept Yeng Guiao’s fast-paced squad grounded for the most part.
- Interior scoring. With both teams hitting their outside shots, the squad that got easy points in the paint ultimately prevailed. Led by Antonio Hester, who replaced the injured Jordon Varnado, and Brandon Bates, the Bolts racked up 58 points in the paint as opposed to Rain or Shine’s 48. The former’s winning margin was eight.
Next Up for the PBA
Sunday, July 19, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
- TNT Tropang 5G vs. Macau Giant Pandas (5:15 p.m.)
- Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters (7:30 p.m.)
