MONTALBAN, Rizal - Meralco swept all of its games for the week, dealing Magnolia its first defeat, 78-76, on Sunday in the PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center II.
CJ Cansino scored a career-high 23 points for Meralco. His jumper with 31.2 seconds left gave the Bolts back the lead at 73-72 after Zavier Lucero scored back-to-back threes to put Magnolia on top after a long chase.
READ San Miguel wins first game of PBA season in emphatic fashion
“It’s always tough when you play Magnolia. We didn’t shoot the ball well today, but it’s our third game in five days. We had to gut this one out,” said Meralco coach Luigi Trillo.
Magnolia lost for the first time under new coach LA Tenorio after winning two straight games, including a 127-119 victory over Titan Ultra just last Friday.
Meralco now heads to its EASL season as the PBA's lone representative riding the momentum of three straight wins, all coming this week, including one against rival Barangay Ginebra just last Friday.
The Bolts held the Hotshots to just seven points in the first quarter and opened double-digit leads as big as 18 points, but needed to hold their ground in the final stretch as the Hotshots came alive behind Lucero.
Aaron Black also came through with 17 points and five rebounds for Meralco, while Bong Quinto added 11 points in the win that saw Bolts star Chris Newsome foul out with still 3:15 left in the game.
But the Hotshots' seven points in the first quarter equalled the second-worst in franchise history, according to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon.
Jerom Lastimosa had 22 points while Lucero added 14 points which he capped with hose two consecutive threes to erase a 71-66 deficit.
Meralco led by 18 points, 25-7, early in the second quarter.
The scores:
Meralco 78 – Cansino 23, Black 17, Quinto 17, Bates 7, Hodge 7, Newsome 6, Banchero 3, Almazan 2, Pascual 2, Maliksi 0.
Magnolia 76 – Lastimosa 22, Lucero 14, Barroca 11, Escoto 11, Gomez de Liano 5, Sangalang 4, Laput 4, Dela Rosa 3, Lee 2, Dionisio 0, Alfaro 0.
Quarters: 20-7; 32-25; 53-51; 78-76.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
