MANILA, Philippines – Facing overwhelming odds the entire PBA Philippine Cup, the Meralco Bolts are using adversity as a tool to help them win their first All-Filipino crown.
Meralco, which has never gone into the PBA Philippine Cup finals before this season, drew first blood in the championship round over the defending champions San Miguel Beermen Wednesday, 93-86.
This was a huge win as the Bolts are viewed as the obvious underdogs against the mighty and deep Beermen.
But before scoring the big upset, Meralco had to jump through big hurdles throughout the conference.
The team started the season-ending conference with a 1-3 record. After winning their next two games, they lost their next two contests, the last of which was against the lowly Converge FiberXers, who snapped their 12-game losing streak with the win.
Following this, the Bolts won their last three games, the last one against San Miguel, which snapped the latter’s 10-game win streak.
Come the semifinals, Meralco went up 2-1 against Barangay Ginebra, before losing two straight to be on the brink of elimination, 2-3.
But the Bolts came from behind and crashed into the finals after close wins over the Gin Kings in Games 6 and 7.
“This team went through a lot of adversity before we got to where we are at right now, and I believe that adversity made us stronger,” Bolts guard Chris Newsome told reporters after the game.
“When you look back when we dropped that game against Converge, everybody thought we were out. Everybody thought we didn’t have a chance and it is our guys, the guys in the locker room and the organization that believed that we can do it,” he added.
In Game 1, Meralco also came back from overwhelming odds, trailing by as much as 10 points in the second quarter.
Slowly but surely, though, they battled back and tied the game in the third frame.
Late in the fourth canto, they took a 10-point lead of their own as they pulled away late.
“That’s why you see the signs out there that say believe because it’s something that we really embody. You really have to embody that you can get something done or you can accomplish something special as a group despite all the odds that are against you,” Newsome said, as fans of the winning team showed up with placards reading “Believe.”
“We’re just here to represent all the people that have been doubted many times in their lives and their careers.
“We just want to continue to encourage you to believe in what you’re doing and eventually, good things will happen.”
Newsome spearheaded his team with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and two assists to lead Meralco’s four players who scored in double-digits in the game.
They will try to prevent San Miguel from tying the series up at 1-1 when they battle it out on Friday, 7:30 p.m., at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Bolts bent on bucking the odds in 1st-ever PBA Philippine Cup finals stint - Philstar.com
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