Meralco goes all in for EASL playoff spot

For Meralco, the math is simple but unforgiving: win big or go home.

With a historic East Asia Super League playoff berth hanging in the balance, the Bolts are emptying the playbook and refreshing the roster for a do-or-die clash against the Ryukyu Golden Kings on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum—the final day of the EASL Home and Away Season 3 group stage.

At the center of Meralco’s gamble is rookie Jason Brickman. The Bolts are turning to their Season 50 first-round pick in the biggest game of their EASL campaign, trusting the newcomer to steady the ship in a matchup where there is no margin for error. Brickman joins import Cady Lalanne, brought in to replace the injured Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, as part of a short-term reinforcement move designed solely for this playoff push.

Brickman and Lalanne are on loan from NLEX, and they’ll be thrown straight into a veteran-heavy lineup that includes Justin Brownlee, Ismael Romero, Sina Vahedi, CJ Cansino, Chris Banchero, Cliff Hodge, Aaron Black, Brandon Bates, Bong Quinto, and Raymond Almazan. The Bolts are also hoping to get a timely lift from Chris Newsome, who is working his way back from an MCL injury that sidelined him late in the Philippine Cup semifinals.

“He will try on Monday to practice for the first time with contacts,” said Luigi Trillo, who has handed coaching duties to Nenad Vucinic for Meralco’s EASL run.

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HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

An EASL Finals place is on the line when the Meralco Bolts and Ryukyu Golden Kings meet.

But what does each team actually need to do to book a ticket to Macau? And how do these two match up right now?

Swipe for the qualification… pic.twitter.com/hbfmlrMzSM

— East Asia Super League (@EASLofficial) February 6, 2026

Momentum, at least, is on Meralco’s side. The Bolts enter the finale riding a three-game winning streak, highlighted by a dramatic 93-91 escape against the Macau Black Bears last December in Ilagan. That surge lifted them to a 3-2 record, good for third place in Group B behind Ryukyu (4-1) and Taoyuan (4-2).

But the Golden Kings remain a towering obstacle. Ryukyu has won four straight games and already owns an 81-72 victory over Meralco from their earlier meeting in Okinawa.

For the Bolts, simply winning won’t be enough. They need to beat Ryukyu by at least six points to stay alive. A margin of five or fewer sends them packing. A blowout of 20 points or more, however, would flip the script entirely—vaulting Meralco to the top seed in Group B and forcing Ryukyu and Taoyuan into a quotient battle for the remaining quarterfinal spot.

Anything less, including a loss, would mark another painful near-miss in Meralco’s long pursuit of an EASL breakthrough. On Wednesday night, the Bolts won’t just be playing an opponent—they’ll be playing the numbers, the moment, and the weight of history.

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