All news tagged EASL

What began as a season of high hopes is quickly unraveling for the Meralco Bolts. The squad absorbed its second straight defeat in the EASL Home and Away Season 3, falling to the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, 82-72, on Sunday at the Taoyuan Arena in Taipei.

Imports Ismael Romero and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the fightback with huge performances. Romero posting 26 points and 17 rebounds, and Hollis-Jefferson adding 22 markers, 14 boards, and four assists, but their efforts fell short after trailing by as much as 17.

Meralco now drops to 0-2 in Group B, a disappointing start for a team that entered the season with confidence, anticipating the arrival of Justin Brownlee, who has yet to join the roster.

Meanwhile, William Artino powered the Pilots with 20 points and 17 rebounds to lift them to a 2-0 record atop the group standings.

The Bolts also lost composure late in the first half when consultant Nenad Vucinic was ejected for back-to-back technical fouls, leaving coach Luigi Trillo to steer the team’s comeback attempt.

“We battled back and did enough to make it manageable,” said Trillo, as Meralco trimmed a 17-point deficit to just six in the final minute before running out of time.

Despite a stellar debut from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the Meralco Bolts faltered late and suffered an 81–72 road loss to the Ryukyu Golden Kings in their East Asia Super League opener on Wednesday, October 22, in Okinawa, Japan.

The former NBA standout and three-time PBA Best Import powered the Bolts with 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks, showing flashes of brilliance even without key teammates Justin Brownlee and Sina Vahedi.

Hollis-Jefferson found solid support from Ismael Romero, who posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Chris Newsome and CJ Cansino added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Meralco mounted a late rally, cutting the deficit to two, 72–74, on a Newsome three-pointer, but Ryukyu answered with a decisive 7-0 closing run behind Ryo Sadohara and Ryuichi Kishimoto. Sadohara drilled a clutch triple to seal the win, while Kishimoto led the Golden Kings with 22 points, 8 assists, and 4 steals.

The Bolts missed the dynamic presence of Brownlee, who starred for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 Asian Games, and Vahedi, an All-Tournament Team member from the FIBA Asia Cup.

Now 0–1 in Group B, Meralco aims to regroup as it heads to Taiwan to face Taoyuan on November 2, determined to translate Hollis-Jefferson’s strong performance into their first EASL victory.

The East Asia Super League (EASL) returns on October 8, 2025, with the season tip-off taking place in two venues—one in Taipei and the other in Tokyo.

At the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, fans will be treated to a doubleheader. The first matchup features the B.LEAGUE champions Utsunomiya Brex against the P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taipei Fubon Braves.

Utsunomiya will be spearheaded by veteran star Makoto Hiejima, while the Braves will rely on the leadership of Chinese Taipei legend Lin Chih-Chieh.

The Meralco Bolts will serve as the sole Philippine representative in the upcoming 2025-26 East Asia Super League (EASL) season, as confirmed by league officials on Thursday, July 31.

With the PBA’s 50th season packed with games, the league opted to field only one team instead of the usual two. PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial explained the decision, citing scheduling difficultIes.