Bolts strike gold

Chris Newsome swished in the game-winning jumper with 1.3 seconds remaining as Meralco ended a 14-year wait for the crown in an exciting 80-78 win over dethroned San Miguel Beer in Game 6 of the best-of-seven Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup finals Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Bolts leaned on their go-to guy to deliver at crunch time receiving the inbound pass from Chris Banchero for the cold-blooded shot at the right corner over the outstretched arms of Beermen defender Don Trollano to shatter the last of the only two deadlocks of the ball game.

Meralco made one final stop before the celebration of the sea of orange erupted in jubilation for the franchise’s first championship since joining the league in 2010.

Newsome struggled in the first three quarters with just six points before pouring nine in the final canto including the biggest basket of the conference to finish with 15 markers.

He capped his night to remember by bagging the well-deserved Finals Most Valuable Player award after averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the series.

Allein Maliksi added 14 points, Bong Quinto had 11 while Banchero neared a triple-double with 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Bolts, who had to go through a grueling seven-game semifinal battle against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to enter their fifth finals stint.

Meralco averted a monumental collapse after squandering a 17-point first half lead.

San Miguel fought its way back into the game and forced the wild windup after Best Player of the Conference June Mar Fajardo nailed a bailout three-pointer off a broken play with 3.3 seconds remaining to tie at 78.

It was only the second made trey by Fajardo in 11 attempts in the whole all-Filipino conference.

The Bolts quickly called time to draw up the championship-clinching play.

Fajardo finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds while CJ Perez had 14 markers for San Miguel.

Marcio Lassiter and Mo Tautuaa had 11 and 10 points, respectively, in a lost cause for the team that dominated the elimination round with just one loss – coming at the hands of Meralco - and even swept Rain or Shine in the semis.

Box Scores:

MERALCO (80) --- Newsome 15, Maliksi 14, Quinto 11, Banchero 10, Almazan 9, Caram 6, Torres 6, Hodge 6, Bates 3, Rios 0

SAN MIGUEL (78) --- Fajardo 21, Perez 14, Lassiter 11, Tautuaa 10, Romeo 9, Trollano 7, Ross 1, Enciso 0, Teng 0, Cruz 0, Brondial 0

Quarters: 29-18, 47-40, 63-58, 80-78