Chris Newsome completely took over in the fourth quarter, leading the Meralco Bolts past Rain or Shine and into the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals.
Not just one, but two quarterfinals upsets.
Meralco complete its take down of the no. 2 Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, scoring a decisive 98-89 win Monday in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Bolts completely erased Rain or Shine’s twice-to-beat advantage, and will move on to the semifinals to face the TNT Tropang 5G.
Chris Newsome was the high man for Meralco with 31 points, with 18 coming in the fourth, to go along with five assists, while Chris Banchero was good for 21 points.
The Bolts again shined on defense, with their 23-11 second quarter turning the game on its head and setting the tone for the finish.
Meralco also had 10 blocks, with Brando Bates recording three and three others with at least two rejections.
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine’s streak of four straight semifinals appearances came to a disappointing end, and the team’s elimination also marks the end of Gabe Norwood’s PBA career.
The no. 1 pick of the 2008 Draft, Norwood announced earlier that this Philippine Cup is his final conference.
Adrian Nocum led ROS with 29 points, while Gian Mamuyac had 20. However, similar to their Game 1 loss, the Elasto Painters had little help on offense outside of their two leaders.