IMPORT Suleiman Braimoh provided the spark as Meralco opened its campaign in the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup with a 107-102 victory over Rain or Shine at the PhilSports Arena.

Braimoh put up monster numbers of 34 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks for the Bolts, who are looking to make a big impact under new coach Luigi Trillo and consultant Nenad Vucicic.

A native of Nigeria, Braimoh upstage his Rain or Shine counterpart DaJuan Summers, who finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

“It’s a challenge but I’m looking forward to a good season,” said the 34-year-old Braimoh, who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel early this year and other major international leagues.

Trillo, who took over the coaching job from Norman Black, also liked what he saw during the game.

“Su leads by example. He’s a great character guy and he’s not just coachable but a leader,” said Trillo when asked about Braimoh’s debut with the Bolts.

Trillo hopes the 6-8 Nigerian-American can get them far in the tournament where they failed to make the playoffs last year.

Chris Newsome, Allein Maliksi and Cliff Hodge provided solid support for Meralco, which finished only 10th with a 4-8 card in the 2022 Commissioner’s Cup.

Newsome,a mainstay of Gilas Pilipinas team which made history by winning the gold medal in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, came through with 20 points, six rebounds and three assists

Maliksi added 16 points off the bench, including a five-point cluster that helped the team put the game away for good in the end, while Hodge wound up with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Rain or Shine, which trailed by 13 points at the half, also received ample support from its local players.

Santi Santillan (16 points), Keith Datu (16), Andrei Caracut (15) and Jon Clarito (13) played well in the losing effort by the Elasto Painters.

The scores:

Meralco (107) – Braimoh 34, Newsome 20, Maliksi 16, Hodge 10, Dario 8, Almazan 6, Torres 5, Carram 3, Quinto 3, Black 2, Pascual 0, Rios 0, Pasaol 0.
Rain or Shine (102) – Summers 15, Santillan 16, Datu 16, Caracut 15, Clarito 13, Nambatac 7, Mamuyac 4, Belga 2, Norwood 1, Demusis 1, Asistio 0, Belo 0
Quarterscores: 39-30, 63-50, 77-70, 107-102.

Games Friday:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. — Terrafirma vs. NorthPort
8 p.m.– NLEX vs.Phoenix