Meralco returns to the PBA win column after dominating Titan Ultra

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Meralco Bolts successfully redeemed themselves and nabbed a convincing win over the Titan Ultra Giant Risers, 118-105, in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup on March 29, 2026, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Fresh off a painful loss to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, who won without their import, Meralco vented its ire on the Giant Risers and pulled off a much-needed wire-to-wire victory.

Through a combined offensive masterclass by CJ Cansino, import Marvin Jones, and Bong Quinto, the Bolts immediately established a double-digit lead after the first quarter and further ballooned their cushion to 19 points at the half, 61-42.

Cansino set the tone for Meralco after finding his 3-point stroke early, backstopped by the paint dominance of Jones and Quinto, who crashed the boards for several second-chance points midway through the second quarter.

After leading by only eight points, Jones’ back-to-back tip-ins and Quinto’s aggressive, daredevil drives propelled Meralco to an unanswered 11-0 run, en route to a commanding first-half performance.

Despite minor defensive adjustments deployed by Titan Ultra at the start of the third quarter, the Bolts still rolled on both ends of the floor and were on the verge of blowing the game open with a 28-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Titan Ultra showed flashes of its come-from-behind win against San Miguel after trimming its deficit to eight points twice in the final canto, but Meralco responded with a sense of urgency, leaning on clutch baskets from Cansino and Jones to balloon its cushion back to double digits.

Cansino spearheaded Meralco’s bounce-back win with a team-high 26-point performance, alongside six rebounds and five assists.

Backing Cansino’s solid outing was Jones, who delivered an all-around performance of 24 markers, 14 boards, three dimes and two blocks.

Meralco aims to sustain its momentum on April 7, 2026, against Bol Bol and TNT Tropang 5G, while Titan Ultra seeks to rebound on April 8, 2026, against Blackwater.