Cansino’s Clutch Four-Point Shot Lifts Bolts Past TNT, Ties Semis at 2–2

CJ Cansino delivered the defining moment of the night as the Meralco Bolts held off a late TNT rally to secure a 101–90 victory on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, leveling their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series at 2–2.

With TNT cutting into a double-digit deficit late in the game, Cansino came through with a heavily contested four-point shot that pushed Meralco ahead, 97–90, with 1:21 remaining. The basket halted the Tropang 5G’s comeback attempt after they had trimmed the gap to just a single possession.

The Bolts then closed the game in dominant fashion, with Javee Mocon scoring on a putback followed by a tough layup from Cliff Hodge to complete an 8–0 finishing run, turning the series into a virtual best-of-three heading into Game 5.

Meralco also got a strong debut from new import Patrick Gardner, who made an immediate impact with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and three triples before fouling out with 3:26 left.

Head coach Luigi Trillo praised his team’s composure despite losing their import late in the game.

“They found their rhythm there even with Patrick fouling out,” Trillo said. “I thought we did a good job as a team keeping our poise on both offense and defense.”

Mocon added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Aaron Black chipped in 12 points and Chris Newsome finished with 11 as Meralco relied on a balanced attack.

For Cansino, who had modest production earlier in the series, the clutch shot reflected the team’s growing composure.

“Mas natuto lang kami sa past games namin. ‘Yung composure namin, mas kailangan pa naming i-improve kasi doon kami madalas nagkakaproblema,” he said.

TNT still drew a strong performance from import Chris McCullough, who finished with 24 points and nine rebounds in his PBA return, though he struggled with efficiency at 7-of-22 shooting.

Jordan Heading added 15 points, while Roger Pogoy and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser contributed 14 apiece. Calvin Oftana chipped in 10 points in the loss.

The Tropang 5G briefly threatened a comeback when Pogoy knocked down a corner triple to cut the deficit to 93–90, capping a 10–2 run. But Cansino quickly answered with a dagger four-pointer from deep to extinguish TNT’s final push.

Game 5 now shifts back to the Big Dome on Friday, with both teams locked in a pivotal battle for a spot in the finals.