Beermen fall short in Finals Game 5

Allein Maliksi and Chris Newsome were instrumental in propelling Meralco to a thrilling 92-88 victory over San Miguel Beer in Game 5 of the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup.

Maliksi showcased his best performance of the series, scoring 22 points, including a crucial layup that extended the Bolts’ lead to 90-80 in the fourth quarter.

Not to be outdone, Newsome came up clutch with two free throws in the final seconds to secure the win and tie Maliksi for the team-high 22 points. This dynamic duo’s stellar performance has put Meralco on the brink of a historic franchise milestone.

With the opportunity to claim their first-ever PBA title looming in Game 6, the Bolts are determined to dethrone San Miguel Beer and finally break their championship drought.

Despite previous setbacks in the finals, Meralco’s resilience and strong team effort have them on the verge of making history.

Raymond Almazan provided valuable support with 14 points, bouncing back from a subpar performance, while Chris Banchero added 12 points to bolster the Bolts’ offense.

The frontline, led by Almazan, also did a commendable job in containing the dominant June Mar Fajardo of SMB.

Fajardo put up a monster performance with 38 points and 18 rebounds, but Meralco’s defense managed to limit his impact in the crucial moments. CJ Perez contributed 17 points for San Miguel Beer, but a missed free throw in the final seconds proved costly as Newsome sealed the victory for the Bolts with his clutch free throws.

The Beermen will try to force a winner-take-all Game 7 when the two sides clash anew on Sunday, 6:15pm at the Big Dome.