Luigi Trillo takes the blame after Meralco falls to a 0-2 deficit against TNT in the PBA semifinals

The Meralco Bolts’ struggles in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals continued on Wednesday, January 7, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, as they absorbed a 109-92 defeat to the TNT Tropang Giga in Game 2.

Jordan Heading and Calvin Oftana powered TNT’s victory, combining for 50 points and leaving Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo with major adjustments to consider. Trillo took full responsibility for the loss, acknowledging that the Tropang Giga outclassed his team across the board.

“We didn’t play well today, obviously. They hit a lot of their threes. I just felt that their intensity was on another level, that’s why they are Talk ‘N Text. They are hitting every shot. They were on point. Their defense was bar none. Oftana played like he is Calvin Oftana, the best forward right now. And Jordan Heading played well. Hats off to Talk ‘N Text. They outplayed us today in every quarter. More than anything, that’s on me first,” Trillo said in the postmatch press conference.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

Meralco’s shooting woes underscored their off-night, connecting on just one three-pointer and finishing with a 41.7 percent field-goal clip. The Bolts did earn more opportunities from the line—35 free throws compared to TNT’s 11—but failed to capitalize on the advantage in momentum and energy.

“We only had 14 fouls. We had a lot of free throws. It’s funny, we complained about the free throws. We had a lot of free throws but our energy was not here whatsoever,” Trillo added.

“THEY OUTPLAYED US TODAY IN EVERY QUARTER.”

Now down 0-2, coach Luigi Trillo admits that the Meralco Bolts were outplayed by TNT Tropang 5G in Game 2 of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals. | via Gillian Trinidad/One Sports#PBA50 #PBA50LID pic.twitter.com/m7wpRW3huo

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) January 7, 2026

The coach also noted the impact of playing without team consultant Nenad Vučinić, whose presence on the sidelines typically influences Meralco’s execution. Vučinić is currently in New Zealand for his daughter’s wedding and is expected to miss Game 3 as well.

“Yeah I think when a coach is in his flow. And obviously, he has the pulse of the team and we are winning, that’s very hard. When somebody comes in, it’s different. But you know, I will take this one. It’s on me.

“He will be back soon. The next couple of games he will still be there. We will see, he has some family things to attend to,” Trillo continued.

Despite falling into a 0-2 hole in the best-of-seven series, Trillo remains optimistic that Meralco can regroup and respond.

“At this point, there’s still a lot of games to be played. Just moving forward, we need to play better. Just from the start, when you give 29, 28, 25, and 27 points in four quarters, we don’t deserve to win. That’s not our calling card.

“No excuses here. We need to be better. We have to see the video. If we are gonna even have a chance, we are going to need to up everything that we are doing. Because right now we don’t look like a well-oiled machine,” he said.

Meralco will aim to stay alive in the series when the semifinals resume with Game 3 on Friday, January 9, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

👉 Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

📌 Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and join the community of passionate sports fans.