Less than two weeks after Patrick Gardner saw his championship hopes collapse in Japan, the American-Egyptian big man suddenly found himself in Manila — wearing a Meralco jersey and stepping into the pressure of a semifinal series.
The 26-year-old arrived in the PBA carrying unfinished business after his Fukushima Firebonds suffered a devastating sweep against the Kobe Storks in the Japanese B. League Division 2 Finals last May 17.
The defeat cost Fukushima both the title and a coveted promotion to Division 1.
Instead of heading into vacation mode, Gardner was suddenly thrown into another playoff war after Meralco replaced Marvin Jones following the Bolts’ Game 3 defeat to an all-Filipino TNT Tropang 5G squad.
“This kind of happened very quick, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to play in a country like this with such big basketball fans, and I jumped on it,” Gardner said.
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“I DON’T WANT TO LOSE A CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN.”
Patrick Gardner shared how special it was to experience playing in front of a huge PBA crowd for the first time with the Meralco Bolts. | via Aivan Episcope/One Sports#PBA50 #PBA50LID #OSOnTheSpot pic.twitter.com/vOzSLP2Sv1
— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) May 27, 2026
“Well, I was expecting to go into my off season, and then like I was taking a rest for a week, and then I got the call for this opportunity, and yeah, I started to get back into the gym,” he added.
In his PBA debut during Meralco’s Game 4 semifinal clash, Gardner immediately gave the Bolts the interior presence they badly needed. Despite fouling out with 3:26 remaining, he still produced 20 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists to help Meralco stay alive in the series.
“I don’t want to lose in the championship again… I still have the hunger,” he said.
Gardner admitted his debut was far from perfect, especially with the adjustment to PBA officiating and physicality, but the victory mattered more than the mistakes.
“I’m just happy we won the game, ultimately. Like, it’s my first game here, so ultimately I think that was most important. But, yeah, I think I had a good game. Had six fouls, so that wasn’t good, but it’s a learning curve. So I’m just here to keep learning and getting better,” the American-Egyptian player said.
Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo appreciated not only Gardner’s production, but also the circumstances surrounding it. The import had barely joined the team, was still recovering from a grueling Finals run in Japan, and even battled cramps throughout the game.
“He’s fresh from the Japanese Division 2. He just played, I think, in the finals. So, 10 days off. Pero ‘yun nga sinasabi niya, palagi ‘pag first game of the season kahit saan na-ccramps daw siya,” Trillo added.
Although Gardner previously played in the Philippines during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the Egyptian national team, he admitted the PBA remains a completely different challenge.
“It’s definitely an adjustment compared to Japan or G League or college or anything. But the fans are great. I mean, right when we walked on the court, it was just a full crowd, so, yeah, it was nice,” he shared.
With Meralco still chasing control of the best-of-seven semifinal series, Gardner acknowledged he wishes he had more time to learn the system and build chemistry with the team. But the Bolts no longer have the luxury of waiting.
Now, just days after turning personal disappointment into a crucial Game 4 response, Gardner and Meralco head back to the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday for another pivotal showdown against TNT Tropang 5G in Game 5.
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