Tag: Bolts

Beermen find their way around Bolts defense to level series

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For June Mar Fajardo and the San Miguel Beermen, Meralco’s stifling defense has made the quest for another championship one of the toughest they had experienced.

For one night, at least, they found the antidote.

With some help from a pair of players that saw action for the first time in the series, the defending champions, a 111-101 winner on Wednesday, put themselves back on level terms with the Bolts in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

“Credit to Meralco, not only for the way it’s defending me, but the whole team,” Fajardo said after his 28-point, 13-rebound outing on the night he won the Best Player of the Conference for an astonishing 10th time at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Fajardo has spent the previous three games of the showdown for the biggest prize of the PBA season trying to solve the defense thrown at him by the Bolts, a ploy anchored on the likes of rookie Brandon Bates and veteran Raymond Almazan.

Fajardo seemed to have found the answer, and so did the rest of the Beermen.

CJ Perez had another key performance along with Marcio Lassiter with his three-point shooting and San Miguel breached the century mark for the first time in the series after averaging just 90 entering Game 4.

Perhaps the most crucial adjustment that helped that was the decision by coach Jorge Gallent and his staff to give Terrence Romeo and Vic Manuel significant minutes in the second half. The two had not played in the Finals until Game 4, which was held on the same day the country celebrated its 126th year of independence.

Trajectory change

Romeo had been bothered by a calf injury after the semifinal sweep of Rain or Shine while Manuel had to wait until Wednesday to get his number called.

Manuel and Romeo combined for 15 points, the former making good on his seven-minute stint to backstop Fajardo and Mo Tautuaa.

“I asked them if they can play at least 110 percent, and they did,” Gallent said.

Gallent believes the win could change the trajectory of a series dictated by the Bolts, but only if the Beermen continue to find their shots.

“In the first three games, they were having 16 more shots than us,” Gallent said. “If a team averages 16 more shots than you, that’s really hard to beat [them] and really hard to win.”

Chris Newsome produced a career-high 40 points, most of which came as the Bolts were attempting to cut multiple double-digit deficits in the second half; the closest the Bolts got was within two.

A completed comeback would have been a series-defining moment. Instead, Meralco will look to get back to the drawing board and find a way to regain control.

‘Still underdogs’ Meralco Bolts keeping guards up

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Meralco Bolts during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Holding a 2-1 series edge over San Miguel Beer doesn’t change the fact that Meralco is still the underdog in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Bolts rookie Brandon Bates made it clear: No lead is safe, especially against the mighty Beermen.

“We’re not excited. Even though we’re up 2-1, Ginebra was up 3-2 against us, I remember, and look what happened there. At any given moment, it could be taken away,” said Bates after Meralco pulled off a 93-89 Houdini act in Game 3 on Sunday.

READ: PBA Finals: Meralco countering San Miguel depth with defense

“We’re not taking this for granted. We’re not satisfied. Until we get the fourth win, it’s all nothing.”

Bates knows that the worst thing Meralco could do at this point is to let its guard down.

Brandon Bates Meralco Bolts PBA Philippine Cup Finals

Meralco Bolts rookie Brandon Bates during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“Our coaching staff is big on us not being complacent and not having some swagger coming into the games and things like that. We’re still the underdogs,” said Bates, who scored two points and grabbed five rebounds but had a hand in forcing June Mar Fajardo to turn the ball over seven times.

READ: PBA Finals: Brandon Bates not letting the spotlight get to him

“Regardless of whether we’re up 2-1, we’re still the underdogs so we have to have that chip on that shoulder. We have to understand that.”

Bates and the Bolts go for a commanding 3-1 advantage on Wednesday.

Bolts’ first title could be different from what Newsome has pictured

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Chris Newsome has been in the PBA playing for one team for almost a decade, but a championship has remained slippery for the dynamic Meralco star.

One could bet that the high-flying guard has imagined that special moment in his head one too many times in all of his time backstopping the Bolts.

“I’ve always pictured in my head that my first-ever PBA championship would be through an import conference,” he told the Inquirer with a sheepish smile, as the Bolts lead San Miguel Beer, 1-0, in the Philippine Cup Finals. “That’s just kind of how it was based off of our lineups and how strong San Miguel has been in the All-Filipino historically over the years.”

Meralco has contended for import-laden titles, particularly in the Governors’ Cup where they made all of its first four Finals appearances.

The Beermen, meanwhile, have won six of the last eight editions of the PH Cup, with the franchise owing a total of 10 titles, the most by any team.

Newsome has been a part of all of those four tries. Three of those attempts were with the tireless Allen Durham and the other with sweet-shooting Tony Bishop Jr., and the closest the Bolts came to a crown was during the 2017 Governors’ Cup when they lost to Barangay Ginebra in Game 7 at Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

‘Really working hard’

This latest chance against the Beermen, who are looking to extend their reign for a second-straight Philippine Cup, will be new to Newsome as it will be Meralco’s maiden appearance in the All-Filipino finalé. And this isn’t how he imagined things would be, either.

Not that he’s complaining.

“This says a lot about the franchise. I’ve been here nine years, and for us to be still making franchise history says a lot—that we’re really working hard,” he said.

“Sometimes it hurts to fail or to lose. At times it could be, you know, almost disheartening that you’ve been working so hard and things still (don’t go) in your favor,” he went on. “But all this is a confirmation that we are improving.”

And Newsome knows it would be a shame to let up when Meralco has come this far.

“No stopping now,” he said as he and the Bolts gun for a 2-0 edge at press time. “Just getting started.”

Beermen square PBA Finals with gutsy Bolts after Game 2 thriller

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Composure will be crucial for CJ Perez from this point of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals series that went back to square one following San Miguel Beer’s Game 2 escape act Friday night.

“I have to sustain my composure, especially in the endgame,” Perez told the Inquirer shortly after the Beermen avoided a dreaded 0-2 hole by rallying from four points down with 27 seconds to go for a 95-94 victory over the Meralco Bolts at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Perez’s three-pointer set up that unbelievable comeback as San Miguel took advantage of a split from Chris Banchero from the foul line, with Marcio Lassiter knocking down the go-ahead triple for the eventual scoreline.

San Miguel bounced back from dropping the series opener, 93-86, two nights prior where Perez endured foul trouble and disappointment towards some of the calls.

He was once again in early foul trouble, but wound up with a playoff-high 34 points this time, capped by a triple of his own with 22 seconds left that made the comeback possible.

“As a player, we can’t see everything with regards to the calls. So for us, we have to adjust and avoid complaining too much,” said Perez, who after Game 1 didn’t hide his disappointment towards calls that “shouldn’t be called in the Finals.”

Critical miss

The Finals Most Valuable Player when San Miguel captured the Commissioner’s Cup title last February was also glad to atone for an earlier missed three with Meralco holding on to a 90-89 lead.

That miss led to Banchero’s three-pointer that extended the Bolts’ advantage to 93-89, and it appeared that the Bolts were just one stop away from going two-up on the tournament favorites.

But Perez was glad to make good on his second chance.

“Our coaches really trust me to make shots,” Perez said. “If I miss those, it’s okay. If I make it, good for me.”

Lassiter scored with 13 seconds left following Banchero’s trip to the line, putting him closer to Allan Caidic and career leader Jimmy Alapag on the all-time list.

At this point, that triple could create a shift in the complexion of the championship tussle, with Game 3 set Sunday at the same venue.

Banchero had a chance to put Meralco ahead. He had a good look driving into the lane, but couldn’t convert on a layup that would have put the Bolts back in front and saved them from a gut-wrenching defeat.

Cliff Hodge produced 25 points for the Bolts, who once again drew worthy performances from almost everyone inserted on the floor.

June Mar Fajardo had 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks after another difficult battle against rookie Brandon Bates and the Meralco frontline.

Chris Newsome had 14 points for the Bolts, who led by eight points at one point.