Meralco Secures Crucial 96-79 Victory to Force Sudden-Death PBA Quarterfinals Matchup

Meralco successfully kept their hopes alive in the PBA Philippine Cup after overpowering the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters with a 96-79 win in the quarterfinals held at Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Bolts established a commanding start, building a sizable lead early in the game and fending off a late surge by Rain or Shine in the fourth quarter.

CJ Cansino, Cliff Hodge, and Chris Newsome led Meralco’s scoring, each contributing 14 points. Meanwhile, Jansen Rios and Aaron Black added 12 points apiece, bolstering the team’s offensive efforts.

Meralco opened the game strongly, jumping to a 20-point advantage at 35-15 by the end of the first quarter. The lead extended further in the second quarter, reaching a peak margin of 34 points (56-22) after a three-pointer from Aaron Black.

Rain or Shine gradually chipped away at the deficit, cutting the gap to 12 points (72-84) following an and-one play by Gabe Norwood. Despite this momentum, Meralco responded effectively, closing the game with a decisive 10-3 run to restore a 19-point lead at 94-75.

Raymond Almazan also contributed significantly with nine points for Meralco, while Adrian Nocum led Rain or Shine with 17 points. Gian Mamuyac added 16 points for the Elasto Painters in the losing effort.

The series now heads to a sudden-death decider set for Monday at 7:30 p.m., with both teams aiming to secure their place in the next round at the same venue.