MERALCO made its way back to the finals of the Governors’ Cup, after missing the championship series of the conference in 2018, earning the Bolts a shot at finally winning that elusive PBA title for the franchise.
Here’s some of the moments of 2019 for Meralco that also helped shape the Bolts on their way to a return trip to the PBA finals.
Bolts struggle in Philippine, Commissioner’s Cups
Meralco failed to land a playoff berth in the first two conferences of 2019 with the Bolts only finishing 11th in the Philippine Cup following a 3-8 record, and ninth in the Commissioner’s Cup after a 4-7 win-loss slate. The Commissioner’s Cup saw the Bolts also making import changes with Gani Lawal, Jimmie Taylor, and Delroy James playing in the conference.
Longtime Bolt Dillinger signs with Ginebra
In one of the shocking moves of 2019, Jared Dillinger signed with Barangay Ginebra after six years with Meralco. Dillinger’s transfer came after he was dropped by the Bolts in the unrestricted free agent list, allowing the 35-year-old to sign with any team. Meralco though claimed Dillinger broke a gentleman’s agreement that he will not transfer to any squad even after he was put into the unrestricted free agent list.
Meralco makes deals
The Bolts were also busy in making deals during 2019, beginning with John Pinto being acquired by the team in January from Blackwater in a trade for Jason Ballesteros. In October, Meralco made another trade with Blackwater, getting Allein Maliksi and Raymar Jose from the Elite in exchange of Mike Tolomia and KG Canaleta.
Perhaps the biggest move of the team in 2019 was the trade that sent Raymond Almazan to Meralco from Rain or Shine, giving the team a legitimate center the Bolts have been longing for over the years.
Gold for Newsome in SEA Games
For years, a stint with Gilas Pilipinas has been elusive for Chris Newsome due to the Fiba rules on naturalized players. The year 2019, however, was different as Newsome finally earned the nod of playing for the national team in the Southeast Asian Games where he won a gold in basketball 3x3 alongside CJ Perez, Mo Tautuaa, and Jason Perkins.
Bolts return to Governors’ Cup finals
After lackluster showings in the first two conferences, the Bolts finally had a winning campaign in the Governors’ Cup. Led by resident import Allen Durham, Meralco reached the finals of the season-ending conference after missing the 2018 edition. This after the Bolts finished second in the elimination round with an 8-3 record, and beating Alaska and TNT in the postseason. They are set to renew their match-up against Barangay Ginebra where Meralco hasn’t won in two previous finals stints in the same conference.
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.
