PBA: Meralco beats San Miguel to bolster bid for twice-to-beat

PBA: Meralco beats San Miguel to bolster bid for twice-to-beat

/ 10:12 PM January 18, 2025

Meralco Bolts' Akil Mitchell during a game against San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Commissioner's Cup in Candon City.

Meralco Bolts’ Akil Mitchell during a game against San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup in Candon City. –PBA IMAGES

Meralco muzzled San Miguel’s top guns in the final frame on Saturday night for a 100-93 victory in a rare PBA Commissioner’s Cup match at Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.

Buoyed by import Akil Mitchell and cornerstone Chris Newsome’s fine plays on top of yet another stellar performance from Chris Banchero, the Bolts annexed a third straight win for a 7-3 mark and a four-way tie  in the middle of the standings.

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READ: PBA: Win vs Northport barometer of Meralco progress, says Banchero

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The win gives Meralco a shot at tabbing the twice-to-beat advantage for the quarterfinals.

Mitchell had 26 points and 16 rebounds, Newsome added 20 more in the scoring effort that also saw Banchero chipping in 19. This as they limited the Beermen to just 13 points in a telling third quarter that put the powerhouse in a perilous spot in the race for a playoff berth.

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Meralco Bolts' Chris Newsome during a game against San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Commissioner's Cup in Candon City.

Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during a game against San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup in Candon City. –PBA IMAGES

San Miguel, which was also coming off a win over corporate sibling Magnolia, fell to 4-5 (win-loss) barely within the qualifying threshold for the next round.

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The Beermen drew 20 points and 13 rebounds from reigning Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and 16 more points from spitfire guard CJ Perez.

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New import Malik Pope was hardly a presence finishing just 14 points and nine rebounds—lackluster numbers when ranged against the numbers put up by former San Miguel imports who also played alongside its towering cornerstone.

Meralco will have a chance to bolster its bid for a playoff bonus when it goes up against Barangay Ginebra and then Magnolia.

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San Miguel, meanwhile, will have three more chances to right the ship and when it goes up against NorthPort, Converge, and league-leading TNT.

The Scores:

MERALCO 100 – Mitchell 26, Newsome 20, Banchero 19, Reyson 7, Almazan 6, Cansino 6, Mendoza 4, Hodge 4, Rios 3, Torres 3, Quinto 2, Bates 0, Caram 0,

SAN MIGUEL 93 – Fajardo 20, Perez 16, Pope 14, Trollano 14, Tiongson 9,Tautuaa 8, Cruz 7, Rosales 5, Ross 0, Brondial 0, Teng 0, Lassiter 0

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QUARTERS: 26-18, 46-47, 80-80, 100-93.

TAGS: Meralco Bolts, San Miguel Beermen

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