CHRIS Newsome played with a lot of confidence when he scored the crucial charities off CJ Perez’s foul with 11.3 ticks left to seal the Meralco Bolts’ Game 3, 93-89 win in the 48th Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup on Sunday evening at the Araneta Coliseum.
And when Newsome plays with confidence, it’s certainly bad news for any opposing team.
“They’re (teammates) looking for me, giving me the confidence to take the open shots. They’re encouraging me to be aggressive,” said Newsome as he helped the Bolts grab a 2-1 lead against the Beermen in their best-of-seven championship series.
With the triumph, Meralco now has a chance to move closer to the crown in Game 4 on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the same venue.
“That’s Meralco basketball for you. It’s not just about one person. It’s about the whole team that feeds each other’s confidence and when one guy’s down, we love to encourage each other,” added Newsome.
The 6’2” Newsome unleashed a triple that gave the Bolts a 91-89 edge in the last 34.1 seconds.
Perez then missed on a drive with 30 ticks left and turned the ball over off Cliff Hodge’s rebound play.
That evening, Newsome played above his average of 15.36 points when he tallied 26 points, including nine in the last period.
