Ryukyu’s late surge spoils Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s Meralco debut in EASL 

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s highly anticipated debut in Meralco colors was off to a promising start — until the Ryukyu Golden Kings slammed the door shut in the final two minutes.

The Japanese powerhouse held its composure down the stretch, unleashing a 7-0 finishing run to stun the visiting Bolts, 81-72, and notch their first win in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 3 on Wednesday night at the Okinawa Suntory Arena.

Ryukyu’s late burst was sparked by Ryo Sadohara’s cold-blooded triple before Ryuichi Kishimoto iced the game at the line, silencing a near-packed home crowd as the Golden Kings moved to 1-1 in the regional tilt.

Kishimoto led the charge with 22 points built on five triples, while Alex Kirk and Jack Cooley formed a punishing frontcourt tandem — both posting double-doubles with 17 and 19 rebounds, respectively. 

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CHARGED-UP DEBUT

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson showed he’s the real deal, firing 25 points and grabbing eight boards in his debut game for the Meralco Bolts in the 2025-26 EASL Season against powerhouse Ryukyu Golden Kings.#EASL #YourGame pic.twitter.com/OsXugUvASO

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) October 22, 2025

Sadohara also came up clutch with 16 points, including the go-ahead three that flipped momentum for good.

For Meralco, Hollis-Jefferson lived up to his billing as the spark plug of the team, delivering a strong 25-point performance on top of eight rebounds and five assists. The former NBA veteran and three-time PBA Best Import kept the Bolts within striking distance, despite missing co-imports Justin Brownlee and Mohammad Sina Vahedi.

Ismael Romero contributed a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Chris Newsome provided stability among the locals with 12 points, including a clutch triple that trimmed the deficit to two, 74-72, with just over two minutes left.

But the Bolts’ momentum stopped there. The Golden Kings tightened their defense, forcing turnovers and shutting down Meralco’s half-court sets before sealing the win with poise and precision.

The loss halted Meralco’s momentum after a strong PBA stretch and served as a reminder of the competition’s elevated intensity in the international stage. Still, with Hollis-Jefferson finding his rhythm and with Justin Brownlee yet to participate with Meralco, the team is yet to reach full strength, the Bolts have reasons to stay optimistic moving forward in the EASL campaign.

The scores

Ryukyu (81) – Kishimoto 22, Kirk 17, Sadohara 16, Cooley 12, Sakihama 6, Arakawa 3, Onodera 2, Matsuwaki 2, Whitaker 1, Taira 0.

Meralco (72) – Hollis-Jefferson 25, Romero 13, Newsome 12, Cansino 11, Quinto 2, Black 2, Maliksi 0, Bates 0. 

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