The Meralco Bolts defeated San Miguel Beermen, 93-86, in Game 1 of the 2024 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup finals on Wednesday evening at the Araneta Coliseum.
Chris Banchero and Chris Newsome spearheaded the Bolts’ attack, each contributing 18 points. Their efforts were pivotal in allowing Meralco to gain momentum in their best-of-seven championship series.
The Bolts took control in the final 6:33 with driving shots from Brandon Bates and Banchero, bringing the score to 79-77. Following this, the Beermen struggled offensively, converting only four of seven attempts in the next 3:23, allowing Meralco to extend their lead with Banchero’s layup, making it 91-83.
This victory marked the Bolts’ second win over the Beermen, following their 95-92 triumph in the 11th and final game of the eliminations, which secured Meralco’s place in the quarterfinals.
“They had a lot of points and turnovers. They were beating us in rebounds. I think we came out in the second half and executed our game plan. We wanted to limit their scoring,” said Bolts coach Luigi Trillo.
San Miguel’s Junemar Fajardo delivered a double-double with 23 points, but he was limited to just five points in the last 10 minutes as Bates effectively challenged his dominance under the boards in the fourth quarter.
Raymund Almazan’s layup at the 9:55 mark allowed the Bolts to tie the game at 77-all. After Trollano missed a layup, Cliff Hodge’s putback at the 9:25 mark put the Bolts ahead.
The Bolts has the opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they face the Beermen in Game 2 on Friday.
