Shonn Miller and Cliff Hodge delivered the big hits down the stretch as Meralco survived Terrafirma's gallant stand, 109-102 to stay in the conversation for a twice-to-beat bonus in the 2023-’24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 12.

With the Dyip standing their ground 98-all midway through the final frame, the Bolts went on an 11-2 blitz spearheaded by Miller and Hodge to create the much-needed separation and pick up the crucial win.

Meralco improved to an 8-3 record that gave them a shot at a place inside the Top 4. The Bolts, however, will need to hope for a Barangay Ginebra loss against NLEX on Saturday to claim the last coveted twice–to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.

After being limited to just 19 points last time out, Miller returned to his dominant form with 29 points and 20 rebounds while Bong Quinto also provided a huge lift for the Bolts with season-high 20 points –16 of which came in the first half.

Hodge finished with 11 points – none more crucial than his back-to-back layups that proved to be the spark to the telling run. Baskets from Hodge made it a 104-98 count before Miller put on the finishing touches for the Bolts.

Allein Maliksi also fired 15 points while Chris Newsome and Chris Banchero wound up with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

There were some anxious moments for the Bolts however, especially when the Dyip took a 91-85 lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter behind the combined efforts of Stephen Holt, Javi Gomez De Liano and Juami Tiongson.

Meralco managed to outscore Terrafirma, 13-7, in the ensuing minutes to tie the game and regain footing, eventually seizing control to grab the win.

Holt finished with a career-high 26 points built on five triples while Tiongson contributed 21 points, five rebounds and five assists. De Liano chipped in 15 points in yet another disappointing defeat for the Dyip who ended the conference on an eight-game slide and for a 2-9 record.