(PBA image)
Meralco returned from its EASL break with no signs of rust, turning what was the longest layoff by any PBA team this conference—pandemic years aside—into a statement week. After 42 days on the sidelines, the Bolts came back locked in, sweeping three straight games to secure a playoff berth and keep their slim twice-to-beat hopes alive in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
At the center of that resurgence was CJ Cansino.
Now in just his second season in the pros, Cansino has taken firm control of Meralco’s scoring load and delivered his most complete stretch yet. The former UP standout led the Bolts to their second three-game winning streak of the conference, putting together back-to-back-to-back Best Player of the Game performances that left little doubt about his growing impact.
Cansino opened the week with 22 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting clip, adding four rebounds, an assist, and a steal in Meralco’s 88-78 win over Phoenix at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. He followed that up with 20 points, eight rebounds, and a steal in a dominant 120-87 rout of Terrafirma at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
He saved his best for last.
In a crucial 105-84 victory over Converge back in Antipolo, Cansino erupted for a career-high 29 points, along with five rebounds and an assist, shooting 10-of-17 from the field. Twelve of those points came in the opening quarter, where he outscored the entire FiberXers lineup by himself as Meralco stormed to a staggering 33-7 lead after the first 12 minutes.
Beyond the scoring, head coach Luigi Trillo was quick to highlight the all-around effort.
“The good thing about CJ is he didn’t just score well but also played defense,” Trillo said, noting Cansino’s work against Converge rookie Juan Gomez de Liano. “He really made him work for his points.”
Trillo added that Cansino’s surge coincided with his full recovery from an earlier sprain, a turning point that has elevated his play on both ends of the floor.
For Cansino, the focus remains on sustaining the momentum as the playoffs approach.
“Sana magtuloy-tuloy ang ganda ng sistema na nilalaro namin,” he said.
Over the three-game stretch, Cansino averaged 23.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting an impressive 56 percent from the field, including 37 percent from beyond the arc. He now leads Meralco in scoring for the conference at 19.0 points per game, fifth-best overall in the tournament.
His consistency placed him in rare company. Cansino became the first player since RR Pogoy to win Best Player of the Game honors in all three games of a team’s three-game run, matching what Pogoy accomplished for TNT during last season’s Philippine Cup playoffs.
That dominant week culminated in a unanimous nod from the PBA Press Corps, as Cansino claimed Player of the Week honors for December 10 to 14, edging out strong performances from Calvin Abueva and Jordan Heading.
With Meralco peaking at the right time, Cansino’s emergence has given the Bolts both firepower and belief heading into the most important stretch of the season.