Parent-child tandem making it work for Meralco

SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – Aaron Black continues to make a name for himself at PBA.

In his first playoff game on Friday, Black drained 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter when Meralco attacked defending champion San Miguel, 78-71, to erase a two-time deficit to win and force a game or die by a Semifinal place of the Philippine Cup on Sunday.

After the Beermen cut the Bolts’ 16-point lead to four, 58-62, midway through the final frame, the second-generation cager hit a layup and a triple to trigger a seven-point increase for a lead of 69-58.

The 24-year-old rookie guard who left the Ateneo came to the rescue again when he fired a dagger from the left corner to put Meralco ahead for good, 76-67, with 1:57 to play.

His father and coach Norman praised their son’s confidence in shooting big shots.

“I was taking a lot of shots tonight,” the multi-title coach joked. “He did some, he missed some, but he did some crucial down the stretch when they came back. We really needed that boost. ”

“I think he came off the bench in the last five or six minutes of the game and he had a couple of shots for us to really break away and help us win this basketball game. As I say, he is a rookie and still has a lot of room for improvement, but he does not lack confidence. Sometimes too much really, ”he added.

Young Black credited his father and the coaching staff for his decisive plays.

“They prepared us very well. We came in with a game plan and executed it, ”said Aaron, who also had three rebounds and one assist.

But despite watching his son make great 3s, Norman refused to directly answer who is the best shooter from beyond the arc, drawing laughter from reporters.

“Do you realize that when I came to the Philippines there were no triples? It could have something to do with it, ”said the elder Black, whose decorated career at PBA began with the Tefilin Polyesters in 1980.