MANILA, Philippines – Arinze Onuaku typified Norman Black's hopes for reinforcements during Meralco’s Commissioner's Cup debut on Wednesday night.
"I think my local players play a lot better when there's a strong center in the middle," the American tactician offered after the Bolts defeated the Dyip, 116-103, at the Big Dome.
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True enough, Onuaku -- despite a bum stomach -- put up a performance so well that it rubbed off of his teammates.
The returning import's double-double was so congtagious it drew double-digit performances from four other Bolts in Chris Newsome (18), Nico Salva (13), Jared Dillinger (12) and Cliff Hodge (11).
"I didn't really know how it was gonna go, I haven't seen my team since Friday. But they kept me involved in the game and what they wanted to do, guys were able to make some shots," Onuaku said.
"I'm still sick but I just tried to give my team what I could today," he added.
"He's not only feeling bad but he's also feeling tired. I was very happy with his performance tonight mainly because he gives us exactly what we need as a team," Black offered. "He has been in Cardinal Santos and basically came from there to here."
Onuaku posted 30 points, including a scathing 16-point performance in the second half, to help Meralco pull away from Columbian, which was coming from a win on Sunday. The former PBA Best Import added 19 boards to his performance.
But what's more astounding is how he was able to shoot so well and make his presence felt virtually everywhere. Onuaku shot 93.3 from the field and assisted on six shots. Hewas able to swat four shots and steal the ball thrice, too.
"I was a gametime decision. I knew my guys needed me so I tried to give them what I could," he said.
Turns out, it was more than the Bolts could ask for.