PBA squads Meralco and San Miguel suffered tough defeats in the continuation of the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL) season on Wednesday night.
The Bolts fell short against the Korean Basketball League champions Busan KCC Egis, 72-68, at the Sajik Gymnasium in Busan, while the Beermen were overpowered by Hong Kong A1 Division champions Eastern, 69-58, at the Southorn Stadium in Hong Kong.
Busan KCC Egis staged a remarkable rally, going on a decisive 19-2 run in the final 4:02 of the game.
Heo Ung spearheaded the comeback with a barrage of three-pointers, turning a 13-point deficit into a thrilling victory.
The Bolts appeared to be in control, holding a 66-53 lead with under five minutes remaining.
However, a string of missed opportunities and defensive lapses allowed the Egis to claw back.
Heo was unstoppable during the closing stretch, scoring four three-pointers and finishing with a game-high 31 points on 7-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc.
His game-winning layup with 12 seconds left pushed Busan ahead, 69-68, completing the comeback.
DJ Kennedy paced the Bolts with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Aki Mitchell contributed a double-double of 17 points and 18 rebounds.
Meralco’s record now stands at 2-2 in Group B.
(C) EASL
Over in Hong Kong, Kobey Lam rediscovered his scoring form, dropping 19 points to lead Eastern to victory.
Lam’s crucial five-point burst sparked a 9-0 run that extended Eastern’s lead to 69-58 with just over four minutes remaining.
Before that run, the Beermen were within striking distance, 60-58, after a hook shot by June Mar Fajardo.
However, San Miguel struggled to keep pace as Eastern tightened its grip on the game.
The loss keeps the Beermen winless in three EASL outings.
Fajardo led the way for San Miguel with 19 points, while import Torren Jones added 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Chris McLaughlin, Eastern’s lone import, delivered a strong performance with 16 points and 17 rebounds.
Both Hong Kong Eastern and Busan KCC Egis celebrated breakthrough wins.
The Beermen have a chance to bounce back against Eastern on Sunday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, where Eastern currently shares the top spot with NorthPort, both holding identical 5-1 records.
The Scores
First Game:
Busan KCC 72 – Heo 31, Burton 26, Choi 5, Williams 4, Lee 4, Lee G. 2, Epistola 0, Jung 0.
Meralco 68 – Kennedy 23, Mitchell 17, Kouame 8, Newsome 5, Hodge 3, Quinto 3, Caram 3, Black 2, Bates 2, Caram 2.
Quarterscores: 13-12, 31-31, 51-50, 72-68.
Second Game:
Eastern 71 – Lam 19, McLaughlin 16, Yang 11, Blankley 7, Leung 5, Xu 5, Chan 4, Zhu 4, Cheung 0, Pok 0, Guinchard 0.
San Miguel 62 – Jones 19, Fajardo 19, Perez 8, Miller 5, Tautuaa 3, Cahilig 3, Trollano 3, Rosales 2, Lassiter 0, Ross 0.
Quarterscores: 28-14, 48-34, 60-48, 71-62.
