AARON Black played a key role in Meralco’s victory over Alaska on Wednesday in the PBA bubble.
No one was prouder than his coach.
Black scored all of his eight points in the second half to help the Bolts beat the Aces, 93-81, for their first victory in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena and Cultural Center.
Black was instrumental in Meralco’s breakaway in the second half, teaming up with Allein Maliksi and Baser Amer to give the Bolts a big boost off the bench while dad Norman watched in satisfaction from the bench.
The younger Black was aggressive on offense, hitting two three-pointers and converting two free throws.
“Aaron is a rookie. He is getting experience on the fly. I didn’t play him very much in the first half. I gave him a little bit of a longer run in the second half,” the elder Black said. “He was actually part of that team that helped us pull away. He hit a couple of shots for us and hit a couple of foul shots.”
Black was selected in the second round at 18th overall in last year’s PBA draft by Meralco to join his father, who knows what his son can bring to the table following his stint with Ateneo in college.
“He is going to grow with the team. He is a good player. I know he didn’t really get a chance to show it in college but he is a good player. He knows how to play. He is confident and he’s mature for his age,” Black said.
But Black said he will also not hesitate to bring him back to the bench if he doesn’t perform to the level he demands.
“I’ll just continue to give him a shot and put him out there. If he performs very well, I’ll keep him out there. If not, I’ll just bring back any other players [or] the starters.”
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