On Saturday, in a do‑or‑die game with a semis seat on the line, the Magnolia Hotshots’ Jerom Lastimosa went on an absolute tear. In fact, he looked on the verge of beating the Meralco Bolts all by himself.
But the Bolts did just enough to fend off Lastimosa’s scintillating takeover, making big shot after big shot and getting one final stop to seal the deal in OT. Surprisingly, some fans panned the former Adamson Falcon for his late turnover, as if his efforts leading up to that mistake were nothing.
Lastimosa Earns Respect from Former Teammate
It’s unfortunate, really, but Lastimosa can take solace in the fact that he has earned the respect—and maybe even admiration—of one Chris Newsome, a Gilas Pilipinas mainstay, a PBA champion, and one of the best guards in local hoops ever.
“If you guys remember, he was part of the SEA Games team in Cambodia, and so we were actually teammates on that roster, so I got to know him there,” Newsome told reporters after Meralco survived Magnolia. “I knew from that moment that he’s going to be a tough kid in the league, and he’s proving it every single conference, every single night out, and you can see that his team also trusts him as well, him being a young player.”
That trust appears to be growing, and games like Saturday should only earn Lastimosa even more leeway, especially from a point guard coach—LA Tenorio—who made a career out of making big shots in big moments.
Newsome Expects Big Things from the Former Falcon
Newsome had more praise for the young guard, whom he lauded for having the guts to even take on that closer role at such a critical time.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Newsome added. “He shows that he’s capable of doing things in crunch time, which is commendable to him because he’s willing to put that on his shoulders at such a young age. You got to give credit to him for that. He’s just going to learn and keep getting better…”
Interestingly, Newsome himself guarded Lastimosa when he was taking over for Magnolia. That alone proves the mettle of the young Hotshot, as the former Ateneo Blue Eagle, while already 35, remains one of the PBA’s premier defenders. It didn’t matter. Lastimosa scored Magnolia’s final 21 points in that game, and most of them came with Newsome guarding him.
Seeing the caliber of player Lastimosa is, the longtime Bolt is hoping the 27‑year‑old guard can stay healthy. If he does, Newsome fully expects him to “do big things in the league and be a tough person to match up with for the years to come.”
