The 2022–23 Meralco Bolts season was the 12th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Key dates May 15: The PBA season 47 draft was held at the Robinsons Place Manila in Manila., PBA.ph, June 1, 2022 June 6: After Norman Black files leave for personal reasons, Luigi Trillo acted as standing-in head coach and won his first game against the Elasto Painters. July 31: The Bolts won against the Gin Kings for the first time in a playoff series. August 5: Norman Black returned to the sidelines, as he led the Bolts to tie the semifinals series (1–1) against the San Miguel Beermen.
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Place of birth College 2 22 Christian Fajarito C Letran 3 34 JJ Espanola G UP Diliman 4 42 Andrey Armenion G UE
Roster
Philippine Cup Eliminations Standings
Game log
|-bgcolor=ccffcc | 1 | June 11 | Phoenix Super LPG | W 109–98 | Chris Newsome (21) | Cliff Hodge (10) | Chris Newsome (7) | Ynares Center | 1–0 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 2 | June 16 | Converge | W 90–74 | Aaron Black (25) | Raymond Almazan (15) | Black, Newsome (5) | Ynares Center | 2–0 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 3 | June 18 | TNT | L 71–78 | Allein Maliksi (20) | Cliff Hodge (9) | Bong Quinto (4) | Ynares Center | 2–1 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 4 | June 23 | NorthPort | W 97–87 | Aaron Black (20) | Raymar Jose (13) | Black, Newsome (7) | Ynares Center | 3–1 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 5 | June 25 | NLEX | L 75–90 | Chris Newsome (17) | Raymar Jose (9) | Banchero, Newsome (3) | Ynares Center | 3–2 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 6 | June 30 | Blackwater | L 89–90 | Chris Newsome (23) | Cliff Hodge (7) | Bong Quinto (8) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 3–3
|-bgcolor=ccffcc | 7 | July 6 | Rain or Shine | W 77–73 | Aaron Black (20) | Raymond Almazan (15) | Aaron Black (6) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 4–3 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 8 | July 13 | Barangay Ginebra | W 90–73 | Chris Newsome (19) | Raymond Almazan (15) | Black, Quinto (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 5–3 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 9 | July 15 | Magnolia | L 88–97 (OT) | Chris Newsome (24) | Raymond Almazan (18) | Aaron Black (7) | Ynares Center | 5–4 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 10 | July 17 | San Miguel | W 89–86 | Allein Maliksi (18) | Cliff Hodge (11) | Black, Hodge, Newsome (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 6–4 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 11 | July 21 | Terrafirma | W 105–89 | Chris Newsome (19) | Raymond Almazan (9) | Banchero, Black, Newsome (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 7–4
Playoffs Bracket
Game log
|-bgcolor=ccffcc | 1 | July 24 | Barangay Ginebra | W 93–82 | Aaron Black (25) | Newsome, Pascual (9) | Chris Newsome (6) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 1–0 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 2 | July 29 | Barangay Ginebra | L 87–94 | Cliff Hodge (25) | Raymond Almazan (10) | Chris Newsome (6) | Filoil EcoOil Centre | 1–1 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 3 | July 31 | Barangay Ginebra | W 106–104 | Chris Newsome (21) | Cliff Hodge (18) | Chris Newsome (12) | SM Mall of Asia Arena | 2–1
|-bgcolor=ffcccc | 1 | August 3 | San Miguel | L 97–121 | Chris Banchero (17) | Almazan, Jose, Newsome, Quinto (6) | Chris Banchero (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 0–1 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 2 | August 5 | San Miguel | W 99–88 | Cliff Hodge (17) | Cliff Hodge (14) | Chris Newsome (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 1–1 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 3 | August 7 | San Miguel | L 91–96 | Chris Newsome (16) | Cliff Hodge (13) | Chris Newsome (6) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 1–2 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 4 | August 10 | San Miguel | W 111–97 | Aaron Black (21) | Black, Hodge (7) | Aaron Black (7) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 2–2 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 5 | August 12 | San Miguel | L 78–89 | Chris Newsome (24) | Aaron Black (11) | Black, Newsome (4) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 2–3 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 6 | August 14 | San Miguel | W 96–92 | Chris Newsome (19) | Cliff Hodge (12) | Aaron Black (6) | Smart Araneta Coliseum9,439 | 3–3 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 7 | August 17 | San Miguel | L 89–100 | Cliff Hodge (23) | Cliff Hodge (8) | Banchero, Hodge, Newsome (4) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 3–4
Commissioner's Cup Eliminations Standings
Game log
|-bgcolor=ffcccc | 1 | September 30, 2022 | NorthPort | L 95–101 (OT) | Johnny O'Bryant III (30) | Johnny O'Bryant III (22) | Aaron Black (7) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 0–1
|-bgcolor=ffcccc | 2 | October 2, 2022 | Barangay Ginebra | L 91–99 | Johnny O'Bryant III (31) | Johnny O'Bryant III (16) | Aaron Black (9) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 0–2 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 3 | October 7, 2022 | Terrafirma | W 105–92 | Johnny O'Bryant III (31) | Johnny O'Bryant III (11) | Chris Banchero (7) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 1–2 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 4 | October 15, 2022 | Converge | L 99–106 | Johnny O'Bryant III (27) | Johnny O'Bryant III (15) | Aaron Black (6) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 1–3 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 5 | October 19, 2022 | Phoenix Super LPG | L 82–89 | Bong Quinto (22) | Johnny O'Bryant III (16) | Johnny O'Bryant III (9) | PhilSports Arena | 1–4 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 6 | October 22, 2022 | Rain or Shine | L 96–113 | Johnny O'Bryant III (30) | Raymond Almazan (12) | Black, O'Bryant (5) | PhilSports Arena | 1–5
|-bgcolor=ccffcc | 7 | November 4, 2022 | Bay Area | W 92–89 | K. J. McDaniels (31) | Raymond Almazan (16) | Banchero, Black (2) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 2–5 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 8 | November 11, 2022 | Blackwater | W 102–98 (OT) | K. J. McDaniels (26) | K. J. McDaniels (16) | K. J. McDaniels (5) | Ynares Center | 3–5 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 9 | November 16, 2022 | TNT | W 97–91 | K. J. McDaniels (26) | K. J. McDaniels (15) | Aaron Black (6) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 4–5 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 10 | November 27, 2022 | Magnolia | L 96–108 | K. J. McDaniels (32) | K. J. McDaniels (9) | Chris Banchero (5) | PhilSports Arena | 4–6 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 11 | November 30, 2022 | NLEX | L 81–92 | K. J. McDaniels (22) | Hodge, McDaniels (9) | Aaron Black (4) | PhilSports Arena | 4–7
|-bgcolor=ffcccc | 12 | December 2, 2022 | San Miguel | L 108–113 | K. J. McDaniels (27) | Raymar Jose (17) | Anjo Caram (6) | PhilSports Arena | 4–8
Governors' Cup Eliminations Standings
Game log
|-bgcolor=ccffcc | 1 | January 22 | Rain or Shine | W 105–87 | K. J. McDaniels (27) | K. J. McDaniels (23) | Chris Newsome (6) | PhilSports Arena | 1–0 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 2 | January 26 | NorthPort | W 107–102 | K. J. McDaniels (32) | K. J. McDaniels (22) | Chris Newsome (6) | PhilSports Arena | 2–0 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 3 | January 28 | Terrafirma | L 88–96 | K. J. McDaniels (29) | K. J. McDaniels (19) | Black, McDaniels (4) | Ynares Center | 2–1
|-bgcolor=ccffcc | 4 | February 4 | Blackwater | W 125–99 | Allein Maliksi (30) | K. J. McDaniels (15) | K. J. McDaniels (8) | Ynares Center | 3–1 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 5 | February 9 | San Miguel | L 86–94 | McDaniels, Newsome (18) | K. J. McDaniels (13) | Chris Newsome (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 3–2 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 6 | February 17 | TNT | L 104–111 | K. J. McDaniels (26) | K. J. McDaniels (15) | Chris Newsome (4) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 3–3 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 7 | February 23 | NLEX | W 114–98 | K. J. McDaniels (31) | K. J. McDaniels (21) | Chris Newsome (8) | PhilSports Arena | 4–3 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 8 | February 26 | Magnolia | W 86–84 | K. J. McDaniels (19) | K. J. McDaniels (15) | Aaron Black (4) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 5–3
|-bgcolor=ffcccc | 9 | March 1 | Barangay Ginebra | L 107–112 | K. J. McDaniels (28) | K. J. McDaniels (11) | Banchero, Black (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 5–4 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 10 | March 3 | Converge | W 132–129 (OT) | K. J. McDaniels (33) | K. J. McDaniels (12) | Black, Hodge (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 6–4 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 11 | March 5 | Phoenix Super LPG | W 92–86 | K. J. McDaniels (19) | K. J. McDaniels (16) | Chris Newsome (9) | PhilSports Arena | 7–4
Playoffs Bracket
Game log
|-bgcolor=ccffcc | 1 | March 22 | Magnolia | W 113–107 (OT) | Chris Newsome (33) | Aaron Black (12) | Chris Newsome (7) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 1–0
|-bgcolor=ffcccc | 1 | March 24 | TNT | L 80–110 | K. J. McDaniels (12) | K. J. McDaniels (14) | Aaron Black (5) | Ynares Center | 0–1 |-bgcolor=ccffcc | 2 | March 26 | TNT | W 124–117 (OT) | K. J. McDaniels (39) | K. J. McDaniels (20) | Aaron Black (10) | Ynares Center | 1–1 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 3 | March 29 | TNT | L 80–99 | K. J. McDaniels (30) | Aaron Black (11) | Chris Newsome (5) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 1–2 |-bgcolor=ffcccc | 4 | March 31 | TNT | L 92–107 | K. J. McDaniels (37) | K. J. McDaniels (12) | Aaron Black (7) | Smart Araneta Coliseum | 1–3
Transactions Free agency Signings PlayerDate signedContract amountContract lengthFormer team Aaron Black May 24, 2022 Not disclosed 2 years Re-signed Kyle Pascual May 26, 2022 Terrafirma Dyip Jansen Rios January 19, 2023 1 year Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters Diego Dario January 24, 2023 1 conference Davao Occidental Tigers (PSL)
Recruited imports Tournament Name Debuted Last game RecordCommissioner's Cup Johnny O'Bryant III September 30, 2022 October 22, 2022 1–5K. J. McDaniels November 4, 2022 December 2, 2022 3–3 Governors' Cup January 22, 2023 March 31, 2023 9–7
Awards Recipient Honors Date awardedCliff Hodge2022–23 PBA All-Defensive TeamNovember 5, 2023Chris Newsome
References