Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome and Javee Mocon during a game against Magnolia Hotshots within the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Former Meralco import Allen Durham was in attendance for the Bolts’ PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals game against Magnolia.
His watch party, nonetheless, didn’t have the comfortable ending he had hoped for as fifth seed Magnolia escaped with a 95-89 win at Ninoy Aquino Stadium to force a do-or-die game for a semifinals berth.
Having been in the identical situation before during his stint with the Bolts, Durham knows what the Bolts must do for his or her rubber match against the Hotshots.
“I feel they only have to return out and play aggressive from the beginning,” he told the Inquirer at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday.
“I feel them constructing back up took a lot energy, so once it got all the way down to the last three minutes, they’d already spent a lot energy trying to return back into the sport.”
Meralco trailed by as many as 19 points before storming back and trimming the deficit to at least one late within the fourth quarter.
However the Bolts ran out of steam within the closing minutes, allowing Magnolia to remain alive within the series.
One player who struggled for Meralco was import Marvin Jones, who finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds while shooting just 3-of-15 from the sphere.
Despite the rough shooting night, Durham still believed Jones did his part.
“I feel he played pretty good. He just missed shots that he normally makes. He had a pair bunnies but when those bunnies fall, it’ll be a very different game,” Durham said.