TWO teams will come out of Friday night’s doubleheader holding a 3-2 lead in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner’s Cup semifinals and just a win away from advancing to the championship. After drawing a conference-high 14,615 fans last holiday Wednesday, expect another banner crowd in this payday Friday. Series tied 2-2
MERALCO VS. TNT
When: Friday, May 29. 5:15 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Battle for the lead
Meralco and TNT shoot for a crucial 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series on Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. The Bolts essentially kept their conference alive after a massive 101-90 win to even things up in their series.
Cansino gets going
CJ Cansino gave the Bolts a shot in the arm when he regained his form by scoring 17 points to lead all Meralco locals in scoring. Cansino has been struggling since sustaining a fractured nose but his performance in Game 4 could be proof that he has already adjusted playing through the injury.
Import story
Meralco and TNT's imports had contrasting debuts, shooting-wise. Patrick Gardner had 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and 13 rebounds in the Bolts' victory, but also fouled out late in the fourth. Chris McCullough had 24 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks, but was 0-of-5 from threes and 7-of-17 from the field. You could only imagine the difference had McCullough made his shots in Game 4.
Scoring off turnovers
The Bolts scored 26 points off 15 turnovers - the Tropang 5G’s highest in the series with RR Pogoy having a series-high six turnovers in spite of his 14-point night, and Chris McCullough accounting for four.
Meralco made a stunning move in the middle of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. And it has so far paid off.
Coach Luigi Trillo was mum regarding the import change from Marvin Jones to Patrick Gardner. Team consultant Nenad Vucinic, however, had all the answers on why the Bolts pulled something like that in the middle of a playoff series.
Meralco Bolts import Patrick Gardner during a game vs TNT Tropang 5G in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals Game 4. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Meralco made a stunning move in the middle of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. And it has so far paid off.
Coach Luigi Trillo was mum regarding the import change from Marvin Jones to Patrick Gardner. Team consultant Nenad Vucinic, however, had all the answers on why the Bolts pulled something like that in the middle of a playoff series.
“We just thought we had some really average games,” Vucinic told the Inquirer after their Game 4 win over TNT at Araneta Coliseum, referring to the times when Jones backstopped the Bolts. “Our chemistry was getting lost completely and our team can’t play with that chemistry.
“I knew that Patrick is a high-character guy. He won’t spoil anything and he would help us create that atmosphere.”
Meralco knew better than to repeat its past mistakes, beating TNT, 101-90, in Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday. After blowing a seven-point lead to the Tropang 5G in a Game 3 loss on Sunday, the Bolts held firm this time to even the series at 2-2.
){kind=link}
0 Comments