Meralco Bolts rookie wing man Chris Newsome had a solid performance in Game Two to help the Bolts tie their semifinals series against Alaska at 1-1 on Wednesday night.
Newsome tallied 19 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, while going 7-for-11 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the foul line.
The rookie said his mindset entering the game was to be aggressive, as the Bolts did not want to fall down to a 0-2 hole in the best-of-five affair.
“For me, the only thing that went to my mind is play hard. Being down in a big game, it really comes down to just hustle and wanting it. It’s what we showed, we were not just going to lay down and give it to them and let them go 2-0 in the series so we have to fight back,” Newsome shared.
“For me, that was all the motivation I need to get going and start being aggressive. It eventually went good for us. We were able to make a run, we were able to string together some good defensive stops, and it led to our transition game.”
Aside from being aggressive, Newsome said another factor helping him become one of the most consistent rookies throughout the season so far is being able to feed off the work ethic of Bolts veterans Jimmy Alapag and Jared Dillinger.
Newsome says their mere presence back when he was part of the Ateneo Blue Eagles roster had inspired him. Alapag and Dillinger, then part of the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, train at the same practice facility as the Blue Eagles.
“It inspires me a lot. I’ve seen how hard he has been working ever since I first got here at Ateneo. JD and Jimmy were the guys I see there everyday because we practice right after them,” Newsome shared.
Now being able to work hands on with the two veterans, the newcomer hopes to follow suit.
“Just to see the amount of work he puts in and to see it pay off, it assures me I am doing the right thing. I am also putting in the work to continue to get better. That’s just affirmation that hard work pays off.”
