Bolts Clinch Semifinals with Gritty OT Win Over Hotshots

Meralco kept its Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup campaign alive, escaping Magnolia 105-102 in overtime on Saturday night at the Ynares Center to clinch the deciding game of their quarterfinal series.

Facing immense pressure after dropping the previous two matchups, the Bolts stayed composed in crunch time, relying on clutch plays down the stretch to secure a return trip to the semifinals.

“We needed to clean some things up, and eventually these guys pulled through,” said Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo. “They gutted it out and found a way.”

Import Marvin Jones led the charge with 28 points and nine rebounds, while Chris Newsome added 18 points and five assists. CJ Cansino chipped in 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists, and veteran forward Cliff Hodge contributed 14 points and seven rebounds.

Bong Quinto delivered the biggest shots in the clutch. After a slow start, he buried a crucial triple with 29 seconds left in regulation to give Meralco a 92-90 lead and force overtime. Quinto then scored eight of his 11 points in the extra period to power the Bolts’ finishing surge.

Magnolia stayed within striking distance thanks to sophomore guard Jerom Lastimosa, who carried much of the offensive load late in the game. The Hotshots had a chance to tie in the final seconds of overtime, but Lastimosa split his free throws with 23.5 seconds left. Meralco then extended the lead through separate free throws from Quinto and Cansino, and a turnover on Lastimosa’s attempted pass to Zav Lucero sealed Magnolia’s exit.

Meralco joins Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the semifinals and will await the winner of the TNT–NLEX series.

“I think this is our ninth conference with Coach Nenad [Vucinic],” Trillo said. “We’ve made the semis back-to-back and reached the quarterfinals every conference. It’s a testament to the way the boys are responding.”

Despite the loss, Lastimosa poured in a career-high 28 points, stepping up after import Clint Chapman fouled out late in regulation. Chapman still finished with 26 points and four rebounds, while veteran guard Mark Barroca added 22 points in the losing effort.