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    Black rues Game 4 loss an embarrassment for both Meralco and PBA

    Black left red-faced after Bolts outhustled, outfought by Ginebra yet again
    Jan 15, 2020
    PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

    EMBARRASSING.

    That was how coach Norman Black described in a single word Meralco’s 94-72 loss to Barangay Ginebra on Friday night that left the team on the verge of going down in the PBA Governors Cup finals.

    Black pointed out the Kings outhustled and outplayed the Bolts that he admitted Meralco simply didn’t deserve to win.

    “I’m a little bit embarrassed with the way the team played, the effort we gave. And for me it’s an embarrassment to the PBA that we came out and didn’t give them a better fight,” said the Meralco coach moments after the game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

    “As a basketball coach, I’m a little bit embarrassed by it, to be honest with you,” he added. “You can tell by my voice and my face that I’m not too happy right now.”

    The Bolts’ second straight loss in the best-of-seven series had the team now staring at a 1-3 deficit, which Black said had something to do with the Kings’ beating Meralco in the hustle stats for the second consecutive time.

    “We’ve got beaten very, very badly for the second game in a row in the hustle stats,” said Black. “We couldn’t get back on defense, we couldn’t stop them in the half court, they pretty much did whatever they want to do.”

    Black also lamented the bad shooting Meralco had from the field, where the Bolts only made 37 percent of their shots.

    Baser Amer finished with only two points on 1-of-8 shooting, Chris Newsome went 6-of-15 (12 points), a hobbling Raymond Almazan was 5-of-14. Newly-crowned Best Import Allen Durham had a team-high 25 points but went just 9-of23 shooting.

    “We didn’t shoot the ball well,” Black curtly said.

    The Bolts didn’t play defense as a basketball team, he rued.

    “We didn’t get back defensively, we didn’t’ match up, we gave them way too many easy shots, too many lay-ups. Normally what happens when you can score easily inside the paint, you’re confidence goes up from the outside,” said Black.

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    With Game 5 just 48 hours away, the Meralco coach said the Bolts are left with only two choices at this point.

    “We fought together and come back and fight on Friday or we maybe in for the same,” he said. “We just have to figure out a way to bounce back from this and come up and play basketball (on Friday).”

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    PHOTO: Jerome Ascano
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