Brownlee had a triumphant first game for the Bolts, helping his team nip the Macau Black Bears, 93-91, at The Capital Arena in Ilagan, Isabela.
After missing their first four games, Brownlee finally joined the Bolts in practice on Wednesday, setting the stage for his mouthwatering tandem with his longtime rival Hollis-Jefferson against the Macau Black Bears in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 3 on 6 December.
Hollis-Jefferson was everywhere on the court, finishing with a monster double-double to the tune of 34 points and 11 rebounds with five assists and two blocks to match.
Under EASL rules, a team may enlist two world imports, a naturalized player and an Asian heritage recruit but only three are allowed to be on the court at the same time.
The Meralco Bolts and the Macau Black Bears face off in their Group B elimination round matchup, which carries a special purpose beyond the hardwood.
Or did they?
The Bolts fell to the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, 82-72, last 2 November at Taoyuan Arena, less than two weeks after losing to the Ryukyu Golden Kings in their season-opener.
A few hours after disposing previously unbeaten Magnolia, 78-76, the Bolts flew out of the country to kick off its campaign in the 3rd Home and Away Season of the East Asia Super League (EASL).
Newsome is happy with how his team has boosted its campaign in the 2025-26 season of the EASL by signing PBA foes Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra and Hollis-Jefferson of TNT as reinforcements, and Puerto Rico national team member Ismael Romero.
The Bolts kick off their EASL season 3 campaign against Japan B. League powerhouse Ryukyu Golden Kings on 22 October at the Okinawa Arena.
Brownlee is known for bringing multiple heartbreaks to the Bolts during the storied Meralco-Ginebra rivalry in the PBA but he is now expected to lead the team to a championship glory that had been elusive to Philippine squads in the regional league.
"Who wouldn’t want Justin and Rondae?" Trillo told The Inquirer when asked about reports that the Bolts may field the two great PBA imports for the international competition which starts in October.
Coach Luigi Trillo said the Bolts were informed on 30 July shortly after the PBA Board of Governors meeting to discuss plans for the landmark 50th season which tips off in October.
Former NBA player Austin Daye led the home team’s rally from nine points down in the fourth quarter that paved the way for the two extra period.
Meralco, which played without import Akil Mitchell, fell to 2-3 in the season after dropping their second straight game in the home-and-away tourney.
The Bolts are in a tight fight with the Macau Black Bears, New Taipei Kings, and Busan KCC Egis for the remaining semis seat in Group A after Ryukyu Golden Kings clinched the first Final Four berth in the same bracket.
The reigning Korean Basketball League champion went on a telling 19-2 run in the last 4:02 of the game behind a hail of three-pointers by Heo Ung to complete the huge reversal and notch its first win in the tournament.
In their previous game, Egis held the lead for much of the game but were overtaken by the Bolts in the final minute. Egis led 26-20 at the end of the first quarter and extended their advantage to 53-42 by halftime. They were still up 68-63 at the end of the third quarter.
The reinforcement tapped for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup came through after being fouled in a looseball situation and the visiting Egis in penalty as the Bolts improved to 2-1 in Group B of the regional competition.
The Bolts trailed by as much as 11 points, 77-66, with 2:49 left on a layup by naturalized player Alex Kirk, but went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit down to three and threaten for the last time. Import Allen Durham even had a chance to send the game into overtime, but missed on a step-back three-pointer just before the buzzer as the host team escaped with its first win of the season.