PBA: Meralco completes upset act vs. Rain or Shine to catch last PH Cup semis bus

Chris Newsome breathed life into Meralco when it needed it most, powering the Bolts to a 98-89 win against Rain or Shine in their do-or-die PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinal clash on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The seasoned guard erupted for 31 points, including 16 of the last 21 points of the Bolts, as they booted the Elastro Painters, who were armed with a twice-to-beat bonus in the series.

With the win, Meralco denied Rain or Shine a potential fourth straight semifinals showdown with TNT as the Bolts now advance to the next round against the Tropang 5G.

The defeat carried extra weight for the Elasto Painters, with longtime franchise mainstay Gabe Norwood formally bringing his PBA career to a close following his retirement announcement last October.

But the Bolts stayed focused, refusing to let the occasion distract them from the game.

Meralco controlled the game almost the entire time with Chris Banchero and CJ Cansino doing the heavy lifting in the first half, which ended with the Bolts enjoying a slim 43-37 lead.

The Elasto Painters then went on a rampage in the second half behind the troika of Adrian Nocum, Gian Mamuyac, and Jhonard Clarito. 

Nocum buried a massive four-point shot before cleaning up a Mamuyac missed layup that allowed Rain or Shine to force a 77-all deadlock halfway through the fourth. 

But the Elasto Painters seemed to have lost steam down the stretch as Newsome took over in the clutch to close the series out. 

The Gilas Pilipinas guard scored six straight points before challenging the defense of Nocum with his mid-range jumper, giving Meralco an important 90-82 cushion with 1:13 left to play. 

Nocum would still fire a three-pointer to cut the deficit to five and spark yet another Rain or Shine comeback attempt, but Newsome became aggressive on offense and drew two straight fouls that he converted to four free throws, 94-85. 

Newsome closed the game sinking four more freebies from the stripe as Meralco completed the quarterfinal upset of second-seeded Rain or Shine. 

The Bolts, who finished seventh in the eliminations, also became the second lower-ranked to advance to the semifinals after Barangay Ginebra's QF win over Converge. 

Along with his 31-point explosion, Newsome also grabbed three rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal while Banchero churned out 21 markers. Cansino posted 14 points, eight rebounds, and two assists before fouling out with 5:04 left in the fourth. 

The loss spoiled Nocum's 29-point performance, which he complemented with five rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Mamuyac, meanwhile, finished with 20 markers, four boards, and two dimes. 

"First of all, congratulations to Gabe Norwood for a sensational career. Really, really proud of what he's done. Congratulations to him and secondly, to Rain or Shine, high-character team," Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo said. 

The scores:
Meralco 98 - Newsome 31, Banchero 21, Cansino 14, Quinto 11, Almazan 5, Rios 5, Hodge 4, Black 4, Bates 2, Pascual 1, Reyson 0.

Rain or Shine 89 - Nocum 29, Mamuyac 20, Clarito 9, Malonzo 7, Caracut 7, Santillan 7, Tiongson 6, Norwood 3, Pringle 0, Salgado-Villegas 0, Manaytay 0.

Quarters: 20-26, 43-37, 66-59, 98-89

—JMB, GMA Integrated News