October 2, 2024 – SM Mall of Asia Arena, Manila

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The Meralco Bolts took down the Macau Black Bears 97-85 in the second leg of East Asia Super League’s (EASL) Tip-Off 2024 doubleheader. 

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Picking up where he left off in the 2023-24 EASL season, Chris Newsome led Meralco in scoring but received heavy help from a supporting cast consisting of Allen Durham, Christopher Banchero and David Kennedy. 

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The Black Bears — one of two expansion teams in this years EASL field — hung around with the Bolts for most of the first half, but couldn’t keep affairs tight in the second due to Meralco’s stellar team play. 

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Post-Game Triple:

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1. Meralco Matches Win Record 

EASL’s inaugural 2023-24 season wasn’t kind to Meralco. Placed in Group B with powerhouse teams such as the P. LEAGUE+’s New Taipei Kings and the B.LEAGUE’s Ryukyu Golden Kings, the Bolts mustered just one win and a lowly 1-5 record overall. 

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With two losses to New Taipei and the KBL’s Seoul SK Knights each, Meralco managed to pick up a thrilling 97-88 win over Ryukyu — splitting their season series at 1-1— but finished dead last in their group. 

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However, Wednesday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena halted Meralco’s losing skid. Despite being pitted against a big physical frontcourt in the Macau Black Bears, the Bolts kept an early lead — one that even ballooned up to 19 points in the second half — and hung on to match their EASL win record from the season prior. 

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2. Sharing The Scoring 

Aside from Newsome’s team-high 18 points, three other players on Meralco finished in double-digit scoring. Banchero had 14 while Durham chipped in with 17. Kennedy — an athletic 6-foot-6 wing — tallied 17 as well despite shooting just 25% from the field. 

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Though Macau enjoyed two 20+ point performances from guard Damian Chong Qui and forward Will Artino, it received no help from their bench. The Bolts, meanwhile, notched 24 points, led by a 9-point effort — and an impressive, game-high plus-minus of 24 — from star newcomer Ange Kouame. 

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3. Moving On For Macau 

Atop the press conference dais postgame, Macau head coach Garrett Kelly seemed calm. Inevitably, Kelly was disappointed about the 97-85 defeat his Black Bears took in their EASL opener, but his demeanor was promising. 

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Fielding questions from the media, Kelly confidently ensured that Macau will continue to get better. After all, the Black Bears only had a handful of practices underneath their belts while Meralco was — literally — in midseason form. Kelly noted many negatives but keyed the performances of Chong Qui, Artino — and the promise that 7-foot-6 center Samuel Deguara holds — as something to keep tabs on for during the rest of EASL’s 2024-25 season.    

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Next, Macau takes on reigning P. LEAGUE+ Champions, the New Taipei Kings, in an away contest on Oct. 23.

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EASL Player of the Game: Chris Newsome - Meralco Bolts

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Newsome totaled a team-high 18 points — on incredibly efficient 53.85% shooting — to help Meralco begin its 2024-25 EASL campaign with a comfortable win. 

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Knocking down perimeter jumpers, but also finishing with six assists, the reigning Philippine Cup Finals MVP was everywhere on the floor for the home-crowd favorite. 

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On one play in the third quarter amid a dwindling shot clock, Newsome fired a 3 from straight-on — and canned it — to widen Meralco’s advantage. Then, on another possession near the end of the period, he found a wide-open Kier Quinto in the right corner for a 3. 

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Stat Of The Game:

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Meralco outrebounded Macau 55-43. Though the disparity between both teams might not seem too seroius, the Bolts’ 55 rebounds were the most of any organization that featured at EASL Tip-Off 2024. 

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With five players pulling down five or more rebounds — including an impressive team-high 11 from Durham — Meralco commanded the boards despite hard fought efforts from Macau big men tandem, Deguara and Artino. 

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Of the Bolts’ 55 rebounds, 14 of them were on the offensive end, resulting in second chance opportunities that Meralco cashed in on. Performing throughout the contest with a gang-rebounding mentality, the PBL side’s witty guards gave the Black Bears immense trouble by flying in and crashing the glass. 

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Next Games: 

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Meralco Bolts: Away vs. Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) - October 16, 2024 

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Macau Black Bears: Away vs. New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+) - October 23, 2024 

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