CJ Cansino came through with all the necessary plays to save Meralco from the jaws of defeat and deal Magnolia its first loss of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup, 78-76, on Sunday night at the Ynares Center II in Montalban, Rizal.
The sophomore winger finished with career-highs of 23 points and four blocks plus six rebounds. He delivered on both ends in the clutch to become the savior that the Bolts needed after squandering a lead as big as 18 points.
Showing maturity beyond his years, the 25-year-old banked in a tough jumper to get the lead back with 31.2 seconds to go — an apt response to the back-to-back treys Zav Lucero hit prior that put the Hotshots ahead, 72-71.
He then contested Jerom Lastimosa’s attempt for the go-ahead bucket, before perfecting a trip to the foul line for the 75-72 lead with 18.8 seconds left.
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Both teams then fouled one another — Meralco wanted to prevent Magnolia from getting any good look from deep. But that strategy seemed to work for Magnolia more, after Bong Quinto only split his shots with 8.9 seconds to spare.
Luck then sided with the Bolts as Lastimosa’s bid to steal the game with a triple — not electing to defer to Paul Lee, who was just beside him — missed its target. And that allowed the opposition to escape with the two-point win.
“It’s our third game in five days, so we had to gut this one out,” offered head coach Luigi Trillo, whose team has now stretched its winning streak to three games after an 0-2 start.
“Really, just a grind-out win. It wasn’t easy.”
Aaron Black played solidly after tallying 17 points and five rebounds off the bench, with Quinto adding 11 points and six rebounds in the win.
The others contributed significantly also, with Brandon Bates registering seven points, 15 rebounds, and three of the team’s 11 blocks.
Defense was crucial for Meralco, as it allowed the team to limit the opposition to just seven points in the first quarter while they had 20.
“The last game, I think they scored [127] points, so we know their offense is very good. So it took team defense,” said Trillo. “It’s a testament to Coach Nenad and the staff getting these guys prepared, but it’s another thing executing it.”
The Bolts’ busy week will continue as they will fly to Okinawa, Japan, on Monday. Their 2025-26 East Asia Super League season opens on Wednesday versus B.League outfit Ryukyu Golden Kings at the Okinawa Suntory Arena.
Meralco will then resume its PBA campaign next Sunday, October 26, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo with a meeting against NLEX at 7:30 PM.
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Lastimosa, meanwhile, led the Hotshots with 22 points. Lucero made 14 points and six rebounds, with Mark Barroca adding an 11-11-5 stat line.
Russel Escoto also finished with 11 points in the loss, the team’s first under head coach LA Tenorio after a 2-0 start in the conference.
Magnolia will have nearly a week to recover before looking to get back on track against Terrafirma on Saturday, October 25, 5:15 PM, also in Antipolo.
The Scores:
Meralco 78 – Cansino 23, Black 17, Quinto 11, Bates 7, Hodge 7, Newsome 6, Banchero 3, Almazan 2, Pascual 2, Maliksi 0.
Magnolia 76 – Lastimosa 22, Lucero 14, Barroca 11, Escoto 11, Gomez de Liano 5, Laput 4, Sangalang 4, Dela Rosa 3, Lee 2, Alfaro 0, Dionisio 0.
Quarterscores: 20-7, 32-25, 53-51, 78-76.
