The No. 2 and No. 7 seeds opened PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals action on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. In need of a win to extend the matchup to a winner-take-all, Meralco came out firing on all cylinders en route to a 96–79 victory over Rain or Shine.
What Happened?
Meralco got off to an electrifying start, unleashing a 14–0 blast to turn a 4–2 Rain or Shine lead into a 16–4 advantage in the first quarter. The Bolts continued to pour it on, ending the first 12 minutes with a 35–15 cushion and building as much as a 34-point lead in the second quarter, 56–22, before settling for a 58–32 halftime edge. A 29–20 third quarter got the Elasto Painters back into the game somewhat heading into the fourth, 78–62. Rain or Shine would get to within 84–72, but that was as close as Yeng Guiao’s wards could get.
Who Stood Out?
Meralco’s starters came to play, with Chris Newsome, CJ Cansino, and Cliff Hodge conniving for that torrid start. Each of them fired 14 points, with Newsome adding six rebounds, Cansino corralling eight boards, and Hodge grabbing five of his own. The Bolts then got a big spark off the bench from Jansen Rios, who contributed 12 points, five rebounds, and four steals in 28 high-energy minutes.
Rain or Shine struggled mightily against an inspired Meralco squad, but Adrian Nocum and Gian Mamuyac did their best to rally the Elasto Painters, particularly in the second half. Nocum led the scoring with 17 points, with Mamuyac adding 16.
3 Keys to the Game
- Strong start. Meralco’s electrifying start, which saw them race out to an early double-digit lead, proved to be the difference in the game. In the end, that 34-point lead was just too much to overcome, even for a team with a penchant for making big comebacks.
- Starters shine. A big reason the Bolts got off to such a strong start was the play of their starters, who combined to score 59 points compared to the 36 of their Rain or Shine counterparts. Overall, four of the Bolts’ five starters finished in double digits, as opposed to only one for the Elasto Painters’ starting unit.
- Interior scoring. The Bolts kept attacking the paint against the severely undersized Elasto Painters, who just did not have an answer for Meralco’s aggressive incursions to the interior. This attacking style ended with the Bolts scoring 56 paint points, as opposed to only 34 for Rain or Shine.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals will continue on Sunday, also at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and it promises to be a treat. The lone game will see the Converge FiberXers and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel facing off in a win-or-go-home clash. This knockout game was made possible by Ginebra’s Christmas Day win over Converge.
Converge vs. Ginebra (7:30 p.m.)
