MERALCO simply had an answer to every TNT fightback try–and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s big game last night.

The Bolts jolted the Tropang Giga, scoring a 109-95 victory to get back on track in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Import Suleiman Braimoh scattered 37 points, to go with 10 rebounds and two assists, while Chris Banchero promptly made an impact in his conference debut after sitting out Meralco’s first three matches due to a hamstring injury.
Banchero finished with 18 markers, 11 of them in the fourth quarter, and pulled down two boards and issued four dimes. Bong Quinto added 13 points and three caroms, while Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge combined for 24 as the Bolts rebounded from an 83-93 loss to the San Miguel Beermen seven days back.
Bucking the absence of Allein Maliksi (broken nose) and Aaron Black (knee), Meralco rose to 3-1, while TNT, which came off a 133-93 dumping of Terrafirma last Wednesday, fell to 2-2 in the season-opening tourney.
Bolts coach Luigi Trillo was elated that his squad got a big boost from the likes of Banchero and Quinto.
“TNT is a champion team and Hollis-Jefferson changes everything for them. It’s just nice to see CB (Banchero) back. We know what he can do. It’s been a while since he’s been able to get a feel of the game coming from an injury,” Trillo said. “We got a depleted line-up so to see him and Bong in the groove is important in what we do.
“Give credit to TNT. They came back, hit a couple of big threes, we had to gut it off from them. It’s always nice to put the ball in CB’s hands and he went to work there in the fourth quarter,” he added.
Meralco zoomed to a 52-42 edge at the half and still maintained an 80-70 lead going into the payoff period.
But the Tropang Giga roared back and threatened at 89-91 on a Hollis-Jefferson three-point play with 6:17 remaining.
Banchero, however, answered with two triples sandwiched by a layup that made it a 100-89 game in the last 4:21.
The Bolts held their ground from there and padded their advantage to as much as 14 points on a Braimoh basket that stood as the final count, only 35 ticks left.