AFTER 14 years in the PBA, Meralco can finally call itself a champion.
The Bolts rode Chris Newsome's game-winner to beat San Miguel, 80-78, in a riveting Game Six of the Season 48 Philippine Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday to complete one of the most improbable title runs in league history.
The Bolts led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter, but needed to fend off a desperate Beermen comeback in the second half to clinch the best-of-seven series, 4-2 and win the first championship trophy in franchise history.
Newsome saved the day for the Bolts, hitting a fallaway jumper with 1.3 seconds left to give his team back the lead, 80-78, after June Mar Fajardo's improbable trey off a broken play had tied the game.
He was eventually named Finals MVP.
READ Game Six hero Chris Newsome named Finals MVP
Through the leadership of active consultant Nenad Vucinic and head coach Luigi Trillo, Meralco finally captured its maiden title in the PBA since joining the league in 2010 when it acquired the Sta. Lucia franchise.
It is also the company’s first major basketball crown since 1971 when it won the MICAA Open Conference.
The Bolts did so by outplaying a Beermen team that won the first 10 games of the conference - a winning streak that, ironically, ended at the hands of their finals opponent at the close of the eliminations.
At one point in this conference, a championship even looked far-fetched for Meralco after only winning three of its first eight games of the conference.
But Meralco racked up five straight victories at the close of the eliminations and in the quarterfinals, and defeated Barangay Ginebra - a team they lost to in all four of their first finals appearances - in the semifinals.
Newsome finished with 15 points, hitting one clutch shot after another after struggling from the field in Game Six. He finished with a 4-of-17 clip from the field but did enough to win the first PBA title of his career.
Allein Maliksi also had 14 points, while Bong Quinto added 11 points. Cliff Hodge, the longest-tenured Meralco player in the roster, had six points and six rebounds, some of which came during the final stretch of the game.
Fajardo had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Beermen. He tied the game one last time with a trey and took another three-point try after the Newsome jumper but his attempt back-rimmed, ending San Miguel's bid to sweep the two titles this season.
San Miguel actually never led in the game and trailed, 46-29, in the second quarter - the biggest margin by either side in the finals series. The Beermen were still down, 73-61, midway through the final quarter on a lay-up by Newsome before .
The scores:
Meralco 80 – Newsome 15, Maliksi 14, Quinto 11, Banchero 10, Almazan 9, Hodge 6, Caram 6, Torres 6, Bates 3, Jose 0, Rios 0.
San Miguel 78 – Fajardo 21, Perez 14, Lassiter 11, Tautuaa 10, Romeo 9, Trollano 7, Enciso 5, Ross 1, Teng 0, Cruz 0, Brondial 0.
Quarters: 29-18; 47-40; 63-58; 80-78.
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