Norman Black gets late birthday gift as Bolts zap Beermen
MANILA, Philippines — It might have been a day late for his 63rd birthday, but Meralco coach Norman Black received not one, but two presents from the Bolts on Friday.
Not only did his squad keep their season alive with an emphatic 78-71 win over defending champions San Miguel to force a rubber match in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals, his son Aaron also brought home Player of the Game honors in his first-ever playoff game.
Emphatic after forcing the do-or-die against the Beermen, Black was more than grateful for the belated blessings.
"My birthday was yesterday but I'll take these gifts, even if it's a day late," Black quipped in the post-game press conference.
"We really needed this win to build the pressure on San Miguel," he said.
Going up against an undermanned but still determined Beermen who are adamant to continue their six-peat bid, Black's cagers needed to keep their guard up all game and played with composure to hold on for the win.
Though the Beermen showed their championship mettle with a comeback bid in the fourth quarter, Meralco held their ground led by Black's son Aaron.
The second-generation cager converted on his biggest shot of the game with less than two minutes left in the game.
Aaron sank a dagger 3-pointer from the corner to give Meralco a nine-point cushion, 76-67, that helped them hold on for the win.
He finished with 14 points, 11 in the final salvo, to become the first rookie to win Player of the Game honors in his first game in the PBA playoffs since Kiefer Ravena back in March 2018.
His father couldn't help but laud Aaron and the rest of the Bolts' efforts.
"Our guys played with a lot of heart tonight, they really played hard," he said.
Meralco and San Miguel play their do-or-die match on Sunday at 6:45 p.m., with the Bolts having the opportunity to end the Beermen's five-year reign in the Philippine Cup.
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