Baser Amer leads Bolts in overtime. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines–Meralco outlasted NorthPort, 126-123, in a tightly-contested affair that needed two extra periods to settle Friday night in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup at Araneta Coliseum.
Baser Amer emptied 11 of his total 23 points in the two overtime sessions to preserve Chris Newsome’s heroics in the final moments of regulation.
Newsome converted an alley-oop off the pass from John Pinto to send the game to the first OT.
🎥 Pinto alley oop to Newsome… WE ARE GOING TO OVERTIME! #PBALabanKungLaban pic.twitter.com/R0sTqPU7pw
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 8, 2019
Stanley Pringle and Mo Tautuaa came through late in the extension to keep Meralco within striking range, but their efforts weren’t enough to put the Batang Pier on the driver’s seat.
The spitfire guard paced the NorthPort with 33 points, while Tautuaa pumped in 21 more.
The Batang Pier drew a brilliant performance from Sean Anthony, who posted a double-double of 31 markers and 16 boards.
“That was a hard-fought game between two teams fighting for their lives and trying to stay in the playoffs—especially us,” Bolts coach Norman Black said.
“I’m just thankful that the players never gave up. There were moments in the fourth that looked pretty dim but we’re able to execute some plays down the stretch, send the game to overtime and give ourselves a chance to win in double overtime,” he added.
“I think there are a lot of heroes by our side tonight,” Black said.
The Bolts halted a three-game slide and improved to 3-5 in the all-Filipino conference.
“He hit some big shots to give us a chance win this game,” the Meralco mentor said of Amer.
“This (victory) gives us a chance to stay alive and fight another day … The road is still going to be tough for us. But this is a start,” Black said, whose wards improved to 3-5 in the Philippine Cup.
Meralco resumes its bid for a spot at the playoffs when it takes on No. 2 Rain or Shine at Cuneta Astrodome next Friday.
NorthPort, which absorbed their fourth straight defeat, faces defending conference champion San Miguel Beer next. They tangle this Sunday at Big Dome.