The Meralco Bolts flipped the script on Barangay Ginebra with a furious second-half rally, turning a 12-point halftime hole into a commanding 89-75 victory in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday night, October 17.

Chris Newsome anchored the comeback with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while CJ Cansino added 18 markers. Bong Quinto provided the spark late, scoring 10 of his 11 points in the payoff period as Meralco outscored Ginebra 33-14 in the fourth quarter to secure its second straight win.

The Bolts, who trailed 30-42 at the half, tightened their defense and slowly chipped away at the deficit through the third period, trimming the gap to just five entering the fourth. From there, Newsome and Quinto took over, combining for clutch baskets to flip the game’s momentum and hand Ginebra its second loss of the season.

Quinto steps up as Bolts close strong

Quinto, quiet through the first three quarters, delivered when it mattered most. His timely scoring burst fueled Meralco’s decisive run that left Ginebra reeling and unable to respond. The win lifts Meralco to 2-2, coming off a 105-96 victory over Blackwater earlier in the week, as the Bolts prepare to face Magnolia on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

For coach Luigi Trillo, it was a crucial bounce-back stretch after two narrow early-season losses. The Bolts also have their sights on the East Asia Super League, where they will feature the Rondae Hollis Jefferson–Justin Brownlee import duo.

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RJ Abarrientos led Ginebra with 14 points, while Japeth Aguilar, Stephen Holt and Jeremiah Gray all chipped in double figures. Scottie Thompson, however, was limited to just six points on 3-of-9 shooting as the Gin Kings faded after a strong start. Ginebra had dominated the first two quarters, 20-16 and 22-14, before cooling off in the second half to fall to 1-2.