Rondae Hollis-Jefferson did the heavy lifting but still failed to give Meralco a winning start in the 2025-26 East Asia Super League on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Meralco ran out of power in the homestretch to surrender a 72-81 decision to Ryukyu in the 2025-26 East Asia Super League Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was phenomenal as expected, turning in 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal and two blocks.
But even with the PBA Best Import with TNT leading the charge, the Bolts simply did not have enough to whip up the magic in the final three minutes, where the Golden Kings leaned on Ryo Sadohara and Ryuichi Kishimoto.
[RELATED STORY: SCHEDULE | PBA, EASL games livestreaming on One Sports YouTube]
Within that stretch, Sadohara dropped five of his 16 points, including a corner triple off a Kishimoto kick for a 79-72 lead with 57.9 ticks left to play.
Kishimoto then pretty much shut the door on Meralco with a pair of free throws.
The Bolts also missed a couple of attempts in the ensuing plays.
The seasoned playmaker led the Japan B.LEAGUE powerhouse with 22 points, eight assists and four steals.
Alex Kirk had 17 markers while Jack Cooley scored 12 points and hauled down 19 rebounds for the home team.
[ALSO READ: What makes Rondae Hollis-Jefferson special? TNT describes heart and soul of recent title surge]
Meralco shows promise
Though they were only practicing for a couple of weeks, the Bolts showed a lot of promise especially with RHJ and Ismael Romero on board.
Ginebra resident import and naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee has yet to see action for the Bolts in the EASL.
Romero provided the inside presence Meralco badly needed and registered a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds on top of two steals.
Newsome contributed 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and a steal, while CJ Cansino added 11 points.
[RELATED STORY: CJ Cansino sets ego aside as he builds on PBA success with the Meralco Bolts]
Meralco will next face Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in Taiwan on Nov. 2.
—
Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.