Chris Newsome stars as Meralco turns back Ryukyu

In a remarkable display of resilience, Meralco defied all odds and turned to Chris Newsome during the crucial moments of the game.

The Gilas Pilipinas stalwart rose to the occasion and delivered a stellar performance, leading his team to a thrilling 97-88 overtime victory over the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the EASL Home and Away Season at the Studio City in Macau.

With just 15 seconds remaining in regulation and the Bolts trailing 80-76, it seemed like another defeat was imminent. However, Newsome defied expectations and sank an incredible three-pointer after a timeout, drawing a foul from Shota Onodera in the process. He then calmly converted the bonus free throw, leveling the score at 80 with only 10 seconds left on the clock.

In the final seconds, Vic Law of the Golden Kings failed to convert a potential game-winning jump shot, leading to an overtime period.

During the extra period, Newsome continued to shine, scoring an additional seven points. He collaborated effectively with Cliff Hodge, Zach Lofton, and Prince Ibeh to outscore the Golden Kings 17-8, securing a breakthrough victory for the team and improving their record to 1-2 in Group B.

Meralco’s Lofton concluded the game with an impressive 35 points, while Newsome contributed 27 points and Ibeh added 15 points along with 12 rebounds.

On the other hand, Ryukyu’s Law finished with 27 points and nine rebounds.

Playing without import Allen Durham and Filipino player Karl Tamayo, the Golden Kings slid to a 2-2 record.

The scores:

Meralco 97 – Lofton 35, Newsome 27, Ibeh 15, Hodge 6, Almazan 5, Maliksi 5, Dario 2, Banchero 2, Quinto 0, Rios 0, Bates 0, Torres 0,

Ryukyu 88 – Law 27, Imamura 19, Kishimoto 15, Cooley 10, Onodera 9, Tashiro 4, Maki 2, Watanabe 2, Uematsu 0, Arakawa 0, Matsuwaki 0.

Quarterscores: 17-21, 38-37, 57-57, 80-80, 97-88.