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CHRIS Newsome buried the crucial shots in the first overtime game of the PBA Philippine Cup bubble, leading Meralco to beat Magnolia, 109-104, on Tuesday at the University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center of Angels
Newsome scored 26 points in the thriller, none bigger than the long jump shot he took with 10.2 seconds left that gave Meralco a 107-104 lead and made up for his late failure on the last play of regulation time.
The victory also preserved rookie Aaron Black and Trevis Jackson’s heroics in the fourth quarter as the Bolts clinched a hard-won victory, the second in four outings, against a Magnolia team that played without Ian Sangalang and Rome dela Rosa.
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“We really had a good chance to win in regulation,” Meralco coach Norman Black said. “We missed a free kick and then we fouled that gave them two free kicks to tie the game.
“But I told the players during the next timeout between the quarters, ‘Hey, we’re in overtime. We still have a chance, so let’s go out there and win.’
Newsome was quick to atone after missing a potential game-winning field goal in the closing seconds of regulation time.
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With the Bolts down by one, Newsome buried a triple with 2:10 left in overtime before Cliff Hodge hit two free throws for a 104-100 lead. That was enough for the Bolts to bounce back from a blown loss to Barangay Geneva last Sunday.
Black scored 16 points, while Jackson added 11, including back-to-back triples that helped the Bolts eliminate a five-point deficit and take a 91-90 margin.
Jackson, however, missed a free throw, 94-92, and Nards Pinto allowed a misguided foul on Paul Lee, who made two free throws that tied the score with 13.3 seconds left.
The loss spoiled a superb effort by Lee, who scored 32 points on 6-of-10 shots from three as the Hotshots fell to their second straight loss to fall to 1-3.
Scores:
Meralco 109 – Newsome 23, Black 16, Hodge 12, Jackson 11, Quinto 8, Almazan 8, Maliksi 8, Jamito 8, Pinto 4, Amer 1, Caram 0.
Magnolia 104 – Lee 32, Barroca 17, Banchero 13, Corpuz 12, Melton 6, Reavis 4, Pascual 4, Dionisio 3, Calisaan 0.
Trimesters: 19-25; 46-46; 67-73; 94-94; 109-104.
