PBA Finals: Meralco hopes to hold on to 2-1 lead this time around

Meralco Bolts during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Meralco is once again in familiar territory after preserving its lead in the end this time to take a 2-1 advantage over San Miguel Beer in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

What the Bolts don’t want to repeat after Sunday’s 93-89 victory, thanks to the clutch plays of Chris Newsome at Smart Araneta Coliseum, is for another golden opportunity to slip away.

“We’re definitely been here before,” Newsome after his three with 34.1 seconds left in the fourth brought Meralco to the lead. “But the results didn’t pan out the way we wanted to.”

The Bolts learned from the mistakes of their collapse in Game 2, when a four-point lead with 26 seconds left disappeared before ending up losing what looked like a sure win.

Now Meralco hopes to experience something it has never experienced before in a championship series—a commanding 3-1 lead which the Bolts can pull off on Wednesday at the same venue.

It’s the third time that Meralco took two of the first three games of the Finals, first in the 2016 Governors’ Cup and in the 2022 edition of the same conference, both against crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra.

And on both occasions, Meralco couldn’t sustain its hold on the driver seat, with Ginebra winning three straight in each of those title meetings.

‘Team of the decade’

Newsome, Cliff Hodge and current assistant coach Reynel Hugnatan have witnessed those past debacles. All of them are hoping to see the current makeup of the Bolts roster to author a different outcome, regardless of what happens moving forward.

“For those guys who were with us during those 2-1 leads and those lapses, those are actually the most vocal in our locker room,” said Newsome. “Those are the guys that have been through it. We had those heartbreaks, and we’re passing that knowledge now, and the things that we thought we could have done better during our 2-1 leads to capitalize on the situation and turn it into a 3-1 lead.

“I mean, this is a series, we’re going up against San Miguel who’s the best team of the decade and they’re playoff ready. They’ve been through a lot of series so it’s gonna be tough to go up 3-1 against them, especially after this win by us. They’re gonna be hungry.

“Again, it’s up to our veterans to be vocal about it. But when it’s all said and done, it’s not about what you’re saying, it’s what you do. We can say anything about doing this and doing that but what matters is stepping onto that court and getting that job done,” he added.

Newsome posted 26 points, leading a starting crew that all scored in double-figures, including Raymond Almazan, who had 15 points before fouling out after laying a dud due to foul trouble in Game 2. INQ