MANILA — The Meralco Bolts started cold but caught fire late in the game to beat the Star Hotshots, 90-86, on the opening day of the 2016 PBA Commissioner's Cup Wednesday. The Bolts only scored one victory in 11 games in the last Philippine Cup, and it was against the same Star team they defeated anew Wednesday night. Import Arinze Onuaku, who arrived only on Tuesday, led Meralco with 25 points and 22 rebounds on top of three assists. Meralco found a sparkplug in Chris Newsome who led a 14-1 game-clinching run in the final quarter as the Bolts came back from a 69-72 deficit with 8:11 left. Newsome finished with 16 points and two rebounds. The Hotshots rallied to within 88-86 after a rare four-point play by PJ Simon from the top of the key with 36.1 seconds to go, but Onuaku sank a left-handed hook shot off Star import Denzel Bowles for the final tally. Cliff Hodge and Baser Amer added 12 and 10 points, respectively for Meralco. Bowles led Star with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Allein Maliksi scored 14 while Simon and Mark Barroca chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively. Talk N Text 108, Blackwater 102 The Talk N Text Tropang Texters opened their defense of their crown with a scary 108-102 victory over the Blackwater Elite on the opening day of the PBA Commissioner's Cup. The Texters won despite the absence of their mercurial import Ivan Johnson, who was suspended for one game for punching at least two players of the same Blackwater team during a tuneup game just last week. The game saw the return of TNT star Ranidel de Ocampo, who missed nearly the entire Philippine Cup following a back injury on the first game of the new PBA season. De Ocampo quickly made his presence felt, unloading 20 points and four boards. But the Texters' victory was primarily credited to top gunner and FIBA Asia Mythical Five member Jayson Castro who scored 22 points, including a clutch three-pointer in the endgame that virtually sealed TNT's victory. Rob Reyes and Moala Tautuaa added 16 points apiece. The Blackwater loss spoiled the career-high 39 points scored by Carlo Lastimosa, who led the furious Elite rally in the fourth period that saw TNT's 14-point lead, 88-74, chopped down to one, 103-102, with 1:11 remaining after Blackwater import Malcolm Rhett sank two free throws. Rhett finished with just 16 points after taking 17 shots on a rather unimpressive debut in the league. After a timeout, the Texters gave the ball to Castro who quickly fired a pullup three-pointer right in the face of his defender Mike Cortez with 54 seconds left, restoring TNT's lead to four at 106-102. Lastimosa then missed a hurried shot leading to an easy layup by TNT's Larry Fonacier to set the final score. Games Friday: Mahindra Enforcers vs. GlobalPort Batang Pier and Barangay Ginebra Kings vs. NLEX Road Warriors.
