Meralco rips Terra by 44 pts

MANILA, Philippines — Leaving nothing to chance, Meralco handled matters against an import-less Terrafirma to remove potential obstacles to a coveted Top 4 seeding.

The Bolts switched to full power straight away as they cruised to a 113-69 romp that sealed their twice-to-beat bonus in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals last night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Marvin Jones and the Meralco locals asserted themselves fully in the absence of seven-foot Dyip reinforcement Mubashar Ali (downed by food poisoning), storming to a 26-8 start to set the tone for their eighth win in 11 outings.

This put coach Luigi Trillo’s charges at an advantageous win-once situation in the Last-8 even if they drop their elims closeout against Magnolia tomorrow.

That match, however, will play a factor in determining the squad’s final quarterfinal seeding and opponent.

“It’s been three years since we’ve had a chance at twice-to-beat (bonus). I think it was in our second or third game when we set that as one of our goals,” said Trillo, whose charges could finish as high as No. 2 or as low as fourth.

Jones and Jason Brickman led the bombardment that created a 37-20 separation after 12 minutes, with the former banging in 10 and the latter issuing six assists.

Later, Rain or Shine ended a two-game skid with a 142-131 beatdown of Titan Ultra, climbing to second spot at 9-3. The Giant Risers bowed out at 2-10.