Chris Newsome and the Meralco Bolts after beating the San Miguel Beermen in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Meralco defeated San Miguel in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals in familiar fashion on Sunday night.
With the game on the line, Chris Newsome drilled a go-ahead triple from the corner with 34 seconds to go that turned out to be the dagger in the Bolts’ 93-89 escape for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven title series.
“To be honest, I wasn’t thinking. I was just being in the moment,” said Newsome.
“It felt good that my shot did fall but at the end of the day, you can’t let your guard down until it [the clock] says 0:00.”
READ: PBA Finals: Meralco escapes San Miguel for 2-1 series edge
NEWNEW!!!
Chris Newsome sinks a huge triple to lift Meralco up, 91-89, with 34.1 to go. @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/TzBAQAzBmI
— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) June 9, 2024
Newsome’s shot was reminiscent of Marcio Lassiter’s 3-pointer with 13 ticks remaining that capped the Beermen’s late rally in the final 30 seconds of Game 2.
Newsome finished with 26 points, four rebounds and four assists. He came alive in the second half, where he fired 20 points.
Despite his heroics that include a pair of free throws to seal the game, the 30-year-old swingman put more emphasis on playing smarter especially down the stretch.
READ: PBA Finals: Meralco quickly moves on from Game 2 heartbreak
“It’s about staying present and focusing on possessions at hand. I hate turning the ball and having those mental lapses,” said Newsome, who committed a turnover with a minute left that led to a couple of freebies by June Mar Fajardo for an 89-88 San Miguel lead.
“Those are things I could look at after the game and I can’t let that affect me in the next play. My team’s counting on me to be strong for them and to be a leader for them.”
Fortunately for Newsome, he was able to redeem himself in a major way and win it for Meralco.