The Meralco Bolts had every reason to believe this conference could be different. After finally breaking their long-running curse against Barangay Ginebra, they looked poised to turn the page and establish themselves as serious contenders. But when it mattered most, history repeated itself, and then some.
After Ginebra defeated the Bolts in the 2024-25 PBA Governors' Cup quarterfinals (leading to Allen Durham's retirement,) the Kings did it again in the 2024-25 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
It’s a frustratingly familiar story. Meralco started the conference strong, even playing a role in ending San Miguel’s playoff hopes. Still, momentum slipped away when they suffered back-to-back losses to Ginebra and Magnolia late in the eliminations. Whether they were resting Akil Mitchell for the playoffs or simply ran out of steam, the decision backfired. Instead of securing a more favorable matchup, they were thrown into a Best-of-Three battle with their archenemy—and we all know how that turned out.
Ginebra wins.
Again.
Where do the Bolts go from here? Let’s break down their season stats and see what’s next for Meralco.
