It wasn’t much of a toss-up in the second half as Rain or Shine import Michael Qualls (right) struggled to contribute just 14 points for the night. —PHOTOS BY AUGUST DELA CRUZ
With his best player back and fully healthy, Meralco coach Norman Black is firm on his belief that the Bolts can get themselves back into competitive level.
“So with being back in the lineup, I think we can compete with anybody,” Black said, referring to Chris Newsome, after the Bolts opened their campaign in the season-ending PBA Governors’ Cup with a 105-87 rout of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Sunday at PhilSports Arena.
“I’m not saying we’re gonna be favorites to win the championship in the PBA, but we can certainly compete,” added Black as Meralco started the campaign on the right foot following a disappointing Commissioner’s Cup.
A lot of that had to do with the absence of Newsome, who strained his calf in the first game of the midseason tournament and never got a chance to see action the rest of the way as the Bolts slumped to a 4-8 record.
It snapped a streak of five consecutive trips to the semifinals, a thing that Black and company will try to atone for immediately.
“I’ve said in the beginning, if Newsome is healthy and he’s with the team, I don’t think we would be eliminated last conference,” Black insisted. “It’s hard to lose your best player and expect that you’re gonna perform at the same level that you performed before.”
“Unless you’re maybe a [Barangay] Ginebra or a San Miguel [Beer], and they have so many good players and [they can] just replace one after another. We don’t have that luxury,” he added.
Elasto Painters import Michael Qualls could only produce 14 points, a far cry from the 53 he churned out when the two teams met in a tuneup game almost a week ago at Meralco gym.
“That might have been a blessing in disguise, actually,” Black said after the great defensive job on Qualls.
In the nightcap, Converge, handed new NorthPort coach Bonnie Tan a rough debut after a 122-92 destruction of the Batang Pier that capped off the first doubleheader of the season-ending conference.
Meanwhile, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial announced that the All-Star Game set March 9 to 12 in Passi City, Iloilo, will use a format where fans can vote for 24 players who will later be split through a drafting process.
The format, with the captains being the top two vote-getters, is similar to the current format being used in the NBA as the league is set to stage the annual classic for the first time since 2019 in Calasiao, Pangasinan.
Meralco got the first step done in its bid to get back on track, with Newsome putting up modest numbers of 10 points despite a four-of-12 shooting, five rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes.
Newsome got some extended playing time with Aaron Black out with an injury and Chris Banchero, who was the top local scorer with 17, dealing with cramps in the second half.
“He came in and did a great job holding the fort for us, playing good defense and also controlling the team offensively,” said the Bolts mentor.
Meralco’s redemption tour also includes KJ McDaniels, who seems to be in terrific shape after appearing in the final six games of the Commissioner’s Cup to replace the ineffective Johnny O’Bryant.
McDaniels also gave the Bolts reasons to be confident of their chances. He finished with 27 points and 23 rebounds, capping it off with a pair of dunks in the fourth quarter when the game was already in the bag.
Rain or Shine’s defeat that certainly left coach Yeng Guiao disappointed spoiled the return of James Yap, who surprised everyone with his production.
Yap came off the bench to score 12 of his 14 points in the second quarter, including a three-pointer with 0.8 seconds that tied the count at 54. INQ