Meralco averted another potential collapse and beat Blackwater, 105-96, on Wednesday to claim its first victory in the PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Chris Newsome scored 22 points while four others were in double figures as the Bolts barged into the win column after back-to-back defeats to start the season-opening conference. The last game saw Meralco squander a double-digit deficit and lose 96-95 in overtime to Rain or Shine last Saturday in Rodriguez, Rizal.
It appeared that the Bolts were in a comfortable ceiling, having led by 24, only for the Bossing to put up a stirring third and trimming the gap to three behind the hot-shooting Sedrick Barefield and RK Ilagan.
But Newsome, Aaron Black and Allein Maliksi, among others, stepped up to make sure that Meralco won’t falter again. The win was the start of a hectic schedule for the Bolts, whose next opponent is Barangay Ginebra on Friday at the same venue and Magnolia on Sunday in Rodriguez. Meralco will then open its East Asia Super League stint next Wednesday in Japan against the Ryukyu Golden Kings.
Barefield dropped 34 points as he waxed hot for Blackwater after making seven triples while Ilagan had 22 points in the defeat that sent the team down to a 1-1 record.