Meralco is back with a bang, posting a lopsided 120-87 triumph over Terrafirma in the Philippine Basketball Association Season 50 Philippine Cup on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
CJ Cansino led the charge while Chris Banchero and Chris Newsome chipped in solid numbers for the Bolts, who didn’t play in the league for 43 days to represent the country in the East Asia Super League (EASL).
Casino had 20 points and eight rebounds while Banchero and Newsome added 13 and 12 markers, respectively, to power the Bolts to their fourth win in eight games for the solo seventh place that boosted their playoff chances.
Raymond Almazan and Bong Quinto were also impressive, delivering 11 points apiece and combined for 17 rebounds after posting near-double-double performances while Brandon Bates terrorized the paint with 16 rebounds and three blocks on top of seven points for the Meralco side that looked deadlier, sharper after facing Asia’s top clubs in the EASL.
In fact, the Bolts stretched an eight-point lead to end the first quarter to a huge 55-33 edge just before halftime to dictate the tempo and set the stage for the 33-point massacre.
Meralco will aim to sustain its momentum when it faces Phoenix on Friday.
Mark Nonoy fired 22 points, but his effort wasn’t enough as the Dyip still suffered their eighth loss in nine matches.