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Chris Newsome erases past heartaches

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Chris Newsome–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Chris Newsome’s first crack at a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) title came during his rookie year, and it ended with the opposing ace hitting a basket at the buzzer.

Nearly eight years later—and three more botched tries in between—the Meralco guard, now his team’s top gun, hit a late jump shot to give the franchise its first championship with an 80-78 Game 6 victory over defending Philippine Cup champion San Miguel.

“Man, it’s just like a movie, for sure,” Newsome, with confetti all over and the net of Meralco’s home goal around his neck, told the Inquirer on the heels of the clincher last Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Especially when you saw where we were at earlier this conference? No one really thought we were going to be here,” he went on as he shook his head.

Meralco’s campaign in this edition of the PBA’s crown jewel showcase indeed merits a deep dive at some point. With a 3-5 win-loss record way past the halfway point of the elimination round, the Bolts hardly looked like a title contender, but rather a club hurtling toward early vacation at 11th place.

Having patched up the gaps in its game, Meralco went on to march into the Final Four, dragged—and then finally conquered—long-time tormentor Barangay Ginebra in a thrilling Game 7 for the right to challenge the vaunted Beermen.

The campaign was a riveting turnaround for the club, which somehow mirrored Newsome’s career.

Going full circle

Throughout his years playing for the Bolts, the Filipino-American guard out of Ateneo has become a lot of things. He has been a Slam Dunk Champion, the Rookie of the Year, a two-time All-Star, and a member of All-Defensive Team.

He has also won two gold medals for the National Team as well, including the historic Asian Games captured in China last year, but not without being cut several times from the Gilas Pilipinas roster.

But it was only on Sunday night that he was able to call himself a PBA champion.

Newsome, after hitting the title-clincher with 1.3 ticks remaining, was also crowned as the Finals MVP. He averaged 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in those six tightly contested games.

“It’s amazing to be able to see it all through because there were times when I was down. And, you know, I was kind of figuring out whether this is something that I really needed—to just keep on pushing with and keep on working towards,” Newsome said, his voice trailing off as he recalled all those years ending up short-handed.

“You know, in those downtimes, it gets really hard. Especially after failing time and time again. But I had a good support system around me. I have good people around me. Good teammates around me. They’re always encouraging me. It’s a very healthy relationship that we have at Meralco. We feed each other confidence and we continue to believe in one another.”

Newsome also had folks over at the other side silently cheering him on, among them San Miguel skipper and his Gilas captain, Chris Ross.

“New played amazing—he did everything for that team, he had a 41-point game. He was doing everything whether defending, making big shots, making the right plays. He was amazing in this series. … [H]e was 4-for-17. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well but that didn’t change his mindset going for that last shot,” Ross, a 10-time champion, said in praising Newsome.

“I felt like he wanted that,” he added. “‘Make it or miss it just come to me,’ and that’s the confidence you need when you’re the leader of the team. He has the confidence. He puts in the work. Me being around him in Gilas, I know what kind of guy he is.

“He is an amazing player, but he’s an even better person. … He’s a great person so I couldn’t be more happy for him.”

Newsome said in an earlier Inquirer interview that he had imagined hoisting his first-ever PBA trophy in an import-laden conference. Not that he’s complaining about how everything has panned out.

“I never thought that it was going to turn out like this for my first PBA championship. But all those failures definitely make this a lot sweeter,” Newsome said.



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“And to anybody that’s been doubted, keep pushing, man. Keep striving to reach your goals and your dreams.” INQ

NBA Finals loss can be springboard for Mavericks

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Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the fourth quarter of Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP

Dallas star Luka Doncic was still absorbing the bitter blow of NBA Finals defeat, but one big lesson from the Mavericks 4-1 loss to the Boston Celtics was already clear.

“We’ve got to fight next season,” the 25-year-old Slovenian said, adding that the example of the Celtics themselves — back in the winner’s circle after falling in the finals in 2022 then missing out on the title series last year — was one to note.

“They’re a great team,” Doncic said. “They have been together for a long time, and they had to go through everything, so we’ve just got to look at them, see how they play, (they have) maturity, and they have some great players.

“We can learn from that,” Doncic said.

Doncic spearheaded an often sluggish Mavs offense throughout the series, despite playing with nagging knee and ankle injuries and a painful chest contusion.

READ: A postseason like almost none other for Doncic, even without NBA title

“It doesn’t matter if I was hurt, how much was I hurt,” said Doncic, who scored 28 points in Monday’s Game 5 defeat that saw Boston clinch a record 18th NBA title.

“I was out there. I tried to play, but I didn’t do enough.”

Having extended the series with a game-four blowout, Dallas never led on Monday, trailing by double digits throughout the second half.

But Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said just booking the title showdown with the 64-win Celtics — a year after Dallas failed to make the playoffs — was a harbinger of what this Mavs team can accomplish.

“This is just the beginning,” Kidd said. “A lot of people — excluding the people in the locker room — didn’t have us here.

READ: Doncic, Irving can’t deliver for Mavericks in NBA Finals clincher

“Yes, we lost 4-1, but I thought the group fought against the Celtics and just unfortunately just couldn’t make shots.”

As the game ended, Doncic exchanged an embrace with teammate Kyrie Irving, an NBA champion alongside LeBron James with Cleveland in 2016 who was brought in to bolster the Mavs in February of 2023.

“We said we’ll fight together next season, and we’re just going to believe,” Doncic said.

The Mavs’ post-season push was buoyed at the trade deadline by the acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, and guard Josh Green said Dallas has the raw materials to challenge again.

“I think we got here and everyone is hungry now and obviously we didn’t get what we wanted. We need to regroup and be back here again next year,” Green said.

Added Irving: “Failure at this stage definitely sucks. It’s a bitter feeling because you want to keep playing and you feel like your best game is coming up next.



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“But I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow with these guys in this locker room, and everybody across the organization.”

Celtics’ Porzingis returns to play for Game 5 vs Mavs

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Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics speaks to officials during the second quarter of Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images/AFP

BOSTON — Kristaps Porzingis returned to the floor on Monday night as the Boston Celtics attempted to close out the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters before the game that Porzingis would be available and said, “We expect to see him tonight.” The 7-foot-2 Latvian drew a big cheer when he got off the Boston bench to check into the game with 6:49 left in the first quarter.

He missed his first shot, a 3-point attempt.

READ: NBA Finals: Celtics aim to regroup after Mavericks avoid sweep

Mazzulla said Porzingis, who missed the previous two games because of a dislocated tendon in his left ankle, would not have a minutes restriction.

He was cleared to play a limited role in Game 4, but never took off his warmups during Boston’s 122-84 loss in Dallas.

Porzingis had been listed as questionable Monday morning before going through an on-court workout about 2 1/2 hours before tipoff.

READ: NBA Finals: Celtics offer little on Porzingis after leg injury

The workout included shooting, some light-contact post work and lateral movement drills.

The Celtics have said that his tendon issue is unrelated to the calf strain Porzingis sustained April 29 in the first round against Miami that led to him missing 10 games.

Porzingis averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in his first six games this postseason, including 20 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in Game 1 against Dallas.



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NBA Finals: Celtics back home with chance to clinch record 18th title

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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jrue Holiday react as Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) and forward P.J. Washington walk off away after the Celtics won 109-66 in Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics’ catastrophic performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals gave them a chance to clinch another championship on Monday night under the 17 banners already hanging in the TD Garden rafters.

And, coach Joe Mazzulla reminded them, that they would still have two more chances after that.

“We don’t like to lose,” Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said before practice on Sunday. “I think we are ready for Game 5. I think that’s the best answer that I’ve got. I think that we’re ready. We’re at home. And we’re looking forward to it.”

The Celtics cruised through the regular season with the best record in the NBA and then did even better in the playoffs, never trailing in a series while winning 15 of their first 17 games. They opened a 3-0 lead on Dallas, but the Mavericks avoided elimination with a 122-84 victory on Friday night — the third-biggest blowout in Finals history.

That sent the series back to Boston, where the Celtics will again try to win their unprecedented 18th NBA title — and their first since 2008. In a city that’s collected 12 championships already this century, that’s what passes for a drought.

READ: NBA Finals: Celtics take season’s worth of lessons into Game 5

“This is what we all work for,” Brown said. “We are at the precipice of completing what we set out to do at the beginning of the season. So I think it’s not difficult to get everybody in that locker room on the same page right now.”

The Game 4 loss snapped Boston’s franchise-record 10-game postseason winning streak (and also ended Kyrie Irving’s personal 13-game losing streak against his former team). Boston had been 3-0 in potential elimination games so far during these playoffs.

But the Celtics know — and Dallas surely does as well — that they still have three more chances to close out the series. All-Star Jayson Tatum said Mazzulla told his team on Sunday not to “surrender to that idea that we have to win tomorrow.”

While it’s unusual for a coach to diverge from the “one game at a time” mentality, the Celtics said the acknowledgement that they have three tries to win one game takes some of the pressure off them — pressure that may have gotten to them in their total dud of a Game 4.

“We would love to win tomorrow — more than anything,” Tatum said. “But if it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world. We have more opportunities.”

READ: Jayson Tatum reflects on how being a dad changed his life and career

Irving said that the Mavericks are also trying to “enjoy the moment” and not focus on the fact that no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series. Game 6 would be back in Dallas on Thursday, with the potential deciding Game 7 in Boston on Sunday.

″(We are) just thinking about the goal that we have in front of us as best we can, and try not to get tired of everyone talking about the history that has not been made,” Irving said. “We got a chance to accomplish one of our goals, which is to make it back to Boston. We have another goal in front of us, and that’s to make it back to Dallas.”

That will be a lot harder if Boston center Kristaps Porzingis is available. The 7-foot-2 Latvian was listed on Sunday as questionable with a dislocated tendon in his left ankle.

Porzingis did not speak to reporters on Sunday. He practiced with the team wearing a white sleeve on his right leg, and during the 30 minutes that reporters were able to observe him on the court he was gingerly putting up shots from inside the lane, apparently taking care not to jump.

“I’m not sure where he’s at,” Mazzulla said. “But he’s trying and doing everything he can to try to put himself in position to be out there. I know that for sure.”

Porzingis missed 10 straight playoff games after straining his right calf in the first-round series against Miami. He returned for Game 1 of the finals and was a big reason for Boston’s victory, scoring 20 points with six rebounds and three blocked shots in 21 minutes.

But Porzingis dislocated a tendon in his left leg in Game 2, did not play in Game 3 and was said to be available for Game 4 “on a specific basis, if needed.” (With the Celtics quickly falling behind in a 38-point loss, he never checked into the game.)

Less of a concern is the status of Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who has been on the injury report with injuries to his right knee and left ankle along with a bruised chest. He went through the warmups for Game 2 with his torso and knee wrapped, but delivered a triple double in the loss.



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“At this point in the season, a lot of things going on,” he said on Sunday. “If I’m playing, I’m fine. No worries.”

Game 6 hero now looks at next career move

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Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome celebrates after leading his team to the PBA Philippine Cup championship.-MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Chris Newsome is aware that an old trophy from Meralco’s gloried past used to be on display somewhere in the company sports complex in Ortigas where the Bolts regularly hold their practices.

He had hoped to see the 1971 MICAA Open title sitting alongside the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy, which the Bolts were awarded for being the PBA Philippine Cup champion after they defeated San Miguel, 4-2, in the best-of-seven series after an 80-78 win on Sunday night where Newsome hit the winning basket at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Newsome has done his part, finally helping the franchise to its first PBA title. And Meralco will now have to do its part with Newsome entering unrestricted free agency.

“Whenever this Finals is done, we have time to reevaluate the situation,” Newsome had told the Inquirer before the series began. “Of course, the result of this Finals could play a lot into negotiations when it comes to free agency.”

How the favorable result was arrived at will surely come into play after Newsome drained a fallaway jumper with 1.3 seconds left that saved the Bolts from an implosion that saw them blow a 17-point lead in the first half.

With Newsome being part of the 2015 Draft class that will be eligible for unrestricted free agency, Meralco effectively loses its rights on the 33-year-old swingman.

This will be the second off-season that such players have been accorded the huge privilege. It started last year when those who entered in 2014 took advantage of the rule implemented three years ago which players like Chris Banchero, Barangay Ginebra’s Nards Pinto and Maverick Ahanmisi took advantage of.

Newsome, though, has not played for any other team than Meralco, a big plus when he considers his next career move.

Banchero left Phoenix in 2022 to sign with Meralco, Pinto opted to join Barangay Ginebra after several years with Meralco while Ahanmisi switched from Converge before the start of this season. INQ



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Finals MVP Chris Newsome leads Meralco breakthrough PBA title

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PBA Finals MVP Chris Newsome delivers Meralco’s first-ever PBA championship.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Chris Newsome finally entered hallowed basketball grounds on Sunday night, delivering Meralco’s first-ever PBA title at the expense of erstwhile defending champion San Miguel.

The two-way guard delivered the finishing blow of the 80-78 Game 6 victory at Smart Araneta Coliseum, capping off a stellar effort that eventually earned him the Honda-PBA Press Corps Finals Most Valuable Player.

Newsome had 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in the clincher.

READ: Meralco wins first PBA title, survives San Miguel in Game 6

Newsome also delivered the finishing blow—a fadeaway jumper over the outstretched arms of Don Trollano—with 1.3 ticks left on the clock.

The Ateneo product and Gilas Pilipinas mainstay racked up an average of 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists throughout the title series where many felt the Bolts were overwhelming underdogs.

Newsome finally added the most important feather to his cap. Before Sunday night, he had been a two-time All-Star, a member of the All-Defensive Team, and the 2016 Rookie of the Year, but never a PBA champion.



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Gervonta Davis knocks out Frank Martin to keep WBA title

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WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis (R) celebrates in a neutral corner after knocking out Frank Martin in the eighth round of a title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 15, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Referee Harvey Dock checks on Martin at left. Davis retained his title with an eighth-round knockout. Steve Marcus/Getty Images/AFP

LAS VEGAS — Gervonta “Tank” Davis made a triumphant return to the ring after more than a year away, once again showing why he is one of the top pound-for-pound boxers.

Armed with a punching power not typically associated with a lightweight, Davis made full use if his skills Saturday night in dominating Frank Martin and knocking him out at 1:29 of the eighth round to retain the WBA championship.

“I knew the way he fell he wasn’t getting back up,” Davis said.

READ: Gervonta Davis outclasses Ryan Garcia to remain unbeaten

Davis delivered a right and two lefts to Martin’s face to send the Indianapolis resident to the canvass for his first career loss after he won his first 18 fights. Tank again proved to be one of boxing’s most ferocious punchers, improving to 30-0 — all but two by knockout.

He predicted before the fight an eight-round knockout.

“I was just throwing that out there. Next fight in the first round,” Davis said, smiling.

This fight showed why Davis, a Baltimore native and resident, was a substantial favorite at 7-1, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

That bout between 29-year-olds headlined the 100th championship fight night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which has been supplanted by T-Mobile Arena as Las Vegas’ prime spot for combat sports. To mark the occasion, four title fights took place, including the interim WBC light heavyweight championship that David Benavidez won by unanimous decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

READ: Gervonta Davis stops Hector Garcia to keep ‘regular’ WBA title

But there was no doubt who the main attractions were on this night, and that was clear at Wednesday’s press conference. Davis and Martin bantered back and forth during the Wednesday news conference. Then when the two boxers did the traditional poses afterward, Davis pretended to take a swing at Martin. Martin flinched and Davis left the podium laughing.

This was Davis’ first fight since April 22, 2023, when he delivered a devastating left uppercut that handed Ryan Garcia a seventh-round knockout at T-Mobile Arena. Garcia, wearing a shirt that read “Tank’s No. 1 Fan,” congratulated and hugged the champion after the victory over Martin.

The 421-day layoff showed early as Martin won two of the first three rounds, including a right that caught Davis in the face.

That seemed to wake up Davis, who then took over the fight by repeatedly sending Martin into ropes and corners. Davis appeared ready to finish off Martin with several hard blows in the sixth round, bringing the pro-Tank crowd of 13,239 to its feet.

“I had to get in the right range,” Davis said. “He has a decent jab. I had to break him down as the fight was going on.”

Then in the eighth, Davis ended any doubts by charging after Martin early then knocking him out midway through the round. As Martin was being counted out, Davis bounced on the second rung of the ropes, jumped off, and then went to the top cords and did a backflip and stuck the landing.

“I got caught with a shot that I didn’t see,” Martin said. “It came from underneath.”

Benavidez (29-0) made a successful debut in his move up from super middleweight. The Las Vegas resident defeated Gvozdyk (20-2), a Ukraine native who trains in Oxnard, California, by scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109.

Alberto Puello (23-0) of the Dominican Republic won the WBC interim super lightweight championship with a split decision over Gary Russell (17-1) of Capitol Heights, Maryland. Two judges gave Puello the victory with scores of 115-112 and 114-113 and another had it for Russell 118-109.



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Dominican middleweight champion Carlos Adames (24-1) retained his WBC belt with a unanimous decision over Terrell Gausha (24-4-1) of Encino, California. Two judges scored the fight 118-110 and the other had it 119-109.

Heisman Trophy winner and Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was among those in attendance. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan and coach Antonio Pierce and owner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders also were in the crowd.

History on the side of Meralco Bolts after Game 5 win

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Meralco Bolts’ Cliff Hodge, Allein Maliksi and Raymond Almazan during Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Meralco is on the edge of a historic first crown in the PBA.

After nipping San Miguel, 92-88, Friday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Bolts are now up 3-2 in the best-of-seven championship series with a chance to finish off the defending champion this coming Sunday.

History is on the side of the Luigi Trillo and Nenad Vucenic-mentored crew as 15 of the 19 clubs in the last 12 years who won Game 5 after a 2-all deadlock went on to win the title, according to stats chief Fidel Mangonon III.

READ: PBA Finals: Meralco Bolts need to ‘play with poise’ to close out San Miguel

Mathematically, that’s a 79 percent possibility favoring the Bolts.

But standing in the way is a San Miguel squad that has a veritable chokehold of PBA titles. And the Beermen, having won 29 titles, know what it takes to pull through in a stage where stakes are at their highest.

San Miguel owns three comebacks in the Finals. The Beermen have figured in 2-3 series deficits thrice and still managed to win the title, the last being against TNT four years ago, also in the Philippine Cup.

READ: Meralco on brink of first PBA title after Game 5 win over San Miguel

The other two instances are against Magnolia during the 2019 All Filipino, and against crowd darling Barangay Ginebra in the 2009 edition of the Fiesta Cup.

Safe to say Meralco has its work cut out for itself this coming Sunday when it tries to finish off the vaunted side at the fabled Big Dome.



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Celtics knocked down hard, but with chance to clinch at home

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Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, top, and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, bottom, chase a loose ball during the second half in Game 4 of the NBA basketball finals, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

DALLAS  — Jayson Tatum had his step-back 3-pointer swatted away, then ended up in a heap on the floor and was called for an offensive foul.

It was that kind of night for Tatum and the Boston Celtics, who got knocked down hard in Game 4 of the NBA Finals when they had a chance to complete a sweep of the Dallas Mavericks.

Instead of wrapping up an unprecedented 18th NBA title, the Celtics suffered their worst loss ever in the NBA Finals — and one of the worst in league history — when they fell 122-84 on Friday night.

The Celtics’ 10-game postseason winning streak, a franchise record, ended after they lost on the road for the first time in these playoffs. They had been 7-0, including a Game 3 win in Dallas.

READ: NBA Finals: Luka Doncic, Mavericks crush Celtics to avoid sweep

Now the Celtics will get a chance to clinch it at home. Game 5 is in Boston on Monday night.

Dallas already had a 26-point lead at halftime, and any thoughts of a rally by the Celtics were pretty much done less than two minutes into the second half when Tatum had his shot blocked by Daniel Gafford, with the Boston forward reaching out as he fell and getting whistled for the foul.

With the outcome already all but certain, coach Joe Mazzulla emptied his bench with 3:18 left in the third quarter. It was already a 36-point margin that grew to as much as 48.

Tatum, who had 15 points and five rebounds, was on the bench with Jaylen Brown and the rest of the starters for the remainder of the night. And 7-foot-2 center Kristaps Porzingis never even removed his warmups after being declared available before the game.

There have been only two more lopsided games this late in the season: Boston’s 131-92 win over the Lakers in Game 6 to wrap up the Celtics’ last championship in 2008; and Chicago’s record 42-point win over Utah in Game 3 in 1998.

Boston had its lowest-scoring half all season — regular season and playoffs combined — when trailing 61-35 at halftime.



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