One major reason the Meralco Bolts are advancing to the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals—and not the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters—was Chris Newsome turning in a vintage Awesome Newsome performance that canceled out an equally spirited outing from Adrian Nocum.
The 35-year-old Gilas Pilipinas mainstay exploded for a conference-high 31 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter alone, to douse cold water on what was a searing Rain or Shine uprising in the first six minutes of the payoff period.
Newsome Goes Mano-a-Mano with Adrian Nocum
Incidentally, Newsome turned up the heat just as Rain or Shine gunner Adrian Nocum took over for his team, firing 13 of his own conference career-high points in the fourth quarter as he went basket for basket with one of the PBA’s premier players.
But that was the problem. Even as Nocum was torching the Bolts, Newsome was getting him right back as he attacked the former Mapúa Cardinal on defense possession after possession after possession. And Nocum just couldn’t find an answer for Newsome. Postgame, Rain or Shine’s rising star was humble enough to admit that NewNew’s aggressiveness caught him off guard.
“‘Yon nga, e. Parang na-ano [gulat] din ako na, ‘uy, Newsome na ‘to, a?’ Kami ‘yong nag-scoring talaga,” he told reporters after Meralco’s 98–89 win on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Talagang inatake ako ni Newsome kaya nabigla din ako.”
Experience as Fuel?
Indeed, Chris Newsome won his fourth-quarter duel with Adrian Nocum on Monday. But the Tondo-born guard certainly gave it a good run himself. And this experience, according to Nocum, is the invaluable kind that he will take moving forward in his career.
“Experience ‘to. Dadalhin ko ‘to next conference,” he said. “Actually ‘di lang do’n; dadalhin ko rin sa buong career ko.”
At just 26 years old, Adrian Nocum has an entire career ahead of him. And if he can use his lost duel with Newsome as fuel for the future, then Rain or Shine could have a superstar-in-waiting in its midst.
