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    Winning with Maliksi misfiring, Black likes Bolts chances if streak shooter regains touch

    Black hopes Allein Maliksi can regain bearings in Game 5
    Nov 26, 2020
    PHOTO: PBA Images

    ALLEIN Maliksi had his first off-night of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on Wednesday night against Barangay Ginebra.

    The Meralco gunner only converted three of his 11 attempts from the field including a 1 of 6 clip from threes. Fortunately for him, Meralco was able to sneak past Ginebra, 83-80, on Wednesday to arrange a rubber match for the semifinals, giving Maliksi another chance to atone for his struggle in Game Four.

    “Sometimes he is on, sometimes he is not,” said Meralco coach Norman Black. “He’s been on in this series. Probably the first time he didn’t really shoot well, but we are hoping he will be there for Friday when we really need him.”

    Black felt that the nerves got into Maliksi in the match, but expressed confidence he can bounce back with the shots he is making in the series.

    “I think they call it gigil,” said Black in describing Maliksi’s play in Game Four. “It’s just a little bit nervous at the beginning. He was taking quick shots. He was moving a little bit too fast. In other words, (he was) trying to get it all at once.”

    Meralco got big help from Reynel Hugnatan in coming up with the all-important victory that kept the Bolts’ bid to advance into the finals against their perennial finals opponents in the Governors’ Cup.

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    Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge, and Raymond Almazan also made outstanding contributions for Meralco, but Black knows Maliksi can put the Bolts over the top even more if he joins the fray for the team.

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    “He is a big player for us. We need his floor spacing. He is one of the guys that coach Tim really respects because of his ability to score. Of course, coach Tim was able to coach him in the past, winning his championships with San Mig Coffee. For us, he is a floor spacer, a guy we need to have on the floor just to make the other team respect their outside shooting,” said Black.
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    PHOTO: PBA Images
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