Coach Ryan Gregorio talked with a lot of pride after Meralco’s game against Barako Bull Friday night.

With an effort that the Bolts churned out, who wouldn’t? Gregorio’s Bolts rallied from as many as 22 points down in the first half before nipping the Energy, 105-98 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, for a place in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.

“We started out flat, but I told them (Bolts) that no team loses a game in the first three quarters,” Gregorio beamed after Meralco rose to 4-4 overall to assure itself of advancing past the eliminations for the first time this season.

“This game was simply too important for us to let slip away,” continued the multi-titled coach, who goaded his charges back through point guards Jared Dillinger and third-stringer Chris Timberlake.

“We played good basketball till the end (of the game). We simply did not give up.” Darnell Jackson scored 30 points, 11 of them coming in the payoff frame, and five locals tossed in 10 or more in a balanced offensive attack that had the Bolts coming back from a 22-44 deficit with just over seven minutes left before halftime.

“Maybe it was my fault because I over-emphasized the importance of this game to my players,” Gregorio said. “But after we fell behind big, I told them to just take it easy, enjoy the game and have fun.” Barako Bull certainly didn’t have fun, dropping to 2-6 overall with its chances of advancing to the quarterfinals out of its hands.

The win also gave idle Alaska and San Mig Coffee free lifts to the playoffs and both will use their final two games in this round for better positions in the quarterfinals.

And for Barako Bull to advance, it must not only win its last game but the Energy must also hope that none from among Barangay Ginebra, Air21 and Rain or Shine improve on their current standings.

All of those squads already have three wins each, and if all of them win one of their remaining games in this phase, that would shut the door on the Energy and complete the playoff cast.

Talk ‘N Text already booked No. 1 spot as early as two weeks ago but still played hard to nip Globalport, 92-91, to sweep the eliminations with a 9-0 record and keep the luckless Batang Pier winless.

Globalport was also the first team to be eliminated, getting the boot at about the same time when the Tropang Texters bagged top seeding. The Batang Pier are now at 0-8 with still a game to go versus the Elasto Painters.

Talk ‘N Text played without an import after Richard Howell suffered a bad bruise on his right shoulder after taking a nasty fall against the Painters on Wednesday.

But the Tropang Texters were still too much for the Batang Pier to handle as five players, led by the 17 points of national player Ranidel de Ocampo, scored in twin digits.

San Mig Coffee and San Miguel Beer are the only teams that have shots at the No. 2 spot – and the second twice-to-beat privilege – and they collide Saturday night at 6 with the winner gaining a huge advantage.

With a 5-2 record, the Beermen are just half-a-game ahead of the 4-2 Mixers and for all intents and purposes, the winner will most likely join the Texters in enjoying a great advantage in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, the PBA board of governors will meet again on April 24 to discuss improvements on the concessions that it gave the three teams that were accepted for expansion on Thursday.