JUNE MAR Fajardo's improbable three to tie the tally at 78-all in the dying seconds of Game Six of the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup Finals could have been the backbreaker for Meralco.
Instead, the Bolts kept their composure and stood strong in what proved to be the defining moment for their long-suffering franchise.
READ: Newsome on game-winner: 'It's a shot I work on all the time’
Coming off a timeout with just 1.3 ticks to go, Chris Banchero inbounded to Chris Newsome who wasted no time rising and then hitting the baseline jumper that sealed the deal in their 80-78 dethroning of San Miguel.
Not long after, Meralco could celebrate at long last; finally proving that it can end what it started.
"Lots of respect for San Miguel. I've battled with them my whole career, and I finally got one," Banchero said.
At the right end of Never Say Die
For mainstays like Newsome, Banchero, Cliff Hodge, and Anjo Caram to get to that point, however, they had to go through falling short against modern-day rival Ginebra again and again.
Meralco placed as runner-up in the 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021 Governors' Cups. Each and every time, being firsthand witness to how the Gin Kings just couldn't be kept down.
The Bolts had to move on from those four heartbreaks. They had to learn their lessons from being at the wrong end of 'Never Say Die.'
“Malaking bagay ‘yung mga past series namin against Ginebra. Merong down kami 2-3, we had to win two games, mahirap para sa'min pero dun talaga, na-practice kami sa challenge ng games,” Caram told SPIN.ph.
"And ayun, na-apply namin dito, ‘yung NSD [Never Say Die] nila."
While they were willing to keep fighting 'til the very last second, Meralco also understood that had the series extended to a Game 7, it would have been an even taller task to end their 53-year championship wait.
"Nung nakabalik kami sa finals, alam namin na we can't take this for granted, habang nandito kami, we have to make the most out of the opportunity," the 5-foot-7 guard added.
“Sobra 'yung pressure coming into this game. We want to end it kasi ‘pag na-extend, makakapagpahinga sila, malaking bagay for them. Kaya we’re happy we played until the very end. Nung nanalo na, nag-usap kami na, finally nakaisa kami!"
Banchero agreed in saying: “As sweet as it can get! I said to myself, this game should be the last piece we need, and we got it done.”
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