Tag: Newsome

After soaring into PBA lore, Newsome hopes to make the same impact for Gilas Pilipinas

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Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during Game 6 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Last week saw Chris Newsome weave himself into PBA lore with a shot that ended Meralco’s long wait for a championship.

But next week will see Newsome test himself once more against some of the best international basketball has to offer, with a bigger role expected of him for Gilas Pilipinas in the OIympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

“I’m a natural competitor, and I want to see what I’m capable of,” said Newsome, who is seen as a key cog in Gilas’ daunting task facing host Latvia and Georgia in Riga for the final phase of qualification for the Paris Games.

Odds are stacked against Gilas, with Latvia and Georgia seen as the two sides progressing past Group A of the OQT phase which starts July 2.

But Newsome will head to the OQT with confidence at a high level following a performance that keyed Meralco’s triumph over San Miguel and end the franchise’s 14-year wait for a PBA crown.

Important presence

His heroic role, ending with a baseline jumper in Game 6 that sealed the championship, capped off a season in which Newsome has been playing at a level never before seen since he entered the league in 2015.

Much of the credit is on his important presence in Gilas’ victory in the Hangzhou Asian Games, a result that ended the Philippines’ 61-year gold medal drought.

“It definitely helped me going up against [some of] the best in the world,” he said. “It helped me understand where I am as a player and what skills that I have to work on.”

Winning a PBA title and his newfound status as one of the country’s best players, however, can’t satisfy Newsome, who’ll now try to not only put Gilas in a position to give both European countries a run for their money, but also hold his own against the players he’ll go up against.

“Sometimes, I fail. But I’m okay with failing, because I know I did my best,” he said. “Even with this [PBA] championship, I have so much to improve on.”

Gilas is wrapping its short camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, and is scheduled to take on the Taiwan Mustangs of The Asian Tournament on Monday at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.



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Then it’s off to Europe for Gilas for tune-up matches with Turkey and Poland in the leadup to the OQT.

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

Chris Newsome repays Meralco ‘faith’ with title-clinching shot

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

MANILA, Philippines—Meralco couldn’t have hoped for any other player than Chris Newsome to hold the ball in the endgame of Game 6 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Newsome showed why after he nailed the game-clinching shot to deliver the Bolts’ first-ever PBA title on Sunday night.

“New has been in that situation a lot of times,” said Meralco coach Luigi Trillo, who won his second title as a PBA coach after claiming his first with Alaska in 2013, after the Bolts’ 80-78 escape in Game 6.

READ: Finals MVP Chris Newsome leads Meralco breakthrough PBA title win

“We have faith in him, he’s a special player in taking that fadeaway.”

Newsome’s clutch corner jumper came after June Mar Fajardo’s rare triple knotted the count at 78 with 3.3 seconds remaining.

Fajardo, who posted 21 points and 12 rebounds, tried to answer back but misfired on his 3-point try as time expired.

Newsome, who was hailed Finals MVP, finished with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists.

“You have to give it to San Miguel. We were up with some seconds left and they had no quit. I’m just very proud of New because he’s done that a lot of times.”



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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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Chris Newsome career-best down the drain with Game 4 loss

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Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: PBA Finals San Miguel vs Meralco

MANILA, Philippines—It may have been a career night for Chris Newsome, but that was the last thing on his mind after Meralco Bolts’ ‘ Game 4 loss to San Miguel in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Newsome scored a career best 40 points  only for the Bolts to lose to the Beermen and have the series pushed back to square one at 2-2.

“They made their adjustments. That’s what a playoff series is all about. They definitely came with a lot more energy today and you certainly saw it,” said Newsome.

“111? That’s definitely more than we’re used to giving up so for us it’s back to the drawing board and get back to playing Meralco basketball.”

READ: PBA Finals: San Miguel gets back at Meralco to tie series at 2-2

The final count is the largest scoring output for both squads, putting Meralco’s defensive prowess to shame.

Other than 40 points, Newsome also snagged six rebounds and four assists but it still wasn’t enough to give the Bolts the commanding 3-1 lead.

Instead of celebrating his new career milestone, Newsome chose to look ahead to Game 5 where the Bolts can take the pivotal 3-2 lead.

“It’s a best-of-three now l it’s going to come down to who’s playing the best  basketball at the right time. It’’s a tough loss for us today but that’s why we got the win in the last game, to have that advantage. We’re back to square one. It’s back to square one.”

“It’s going to be a grind out for the rest of the series.”

Meralco and San Miguel go at it again on Friday to see who gets the commanding 3-2 lead.



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