Rookie Aaron Black showed that he can be an asset for Meralco, helping the Bolts register their first win of the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup, Wednesday.
The 22-year-old came off the bench and produced eight points, two rebounds, and two assists in nearly 11 minutes of play in their 93-81 conquest of Alaska.
He also poured five of his points in the Bolts’ 12-0 blitz to open the final chapter, giving them the lead for good, 77-58, with 9:26 left.
“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. He was actually part of that team that helped us pull away,” noted head coach Norman Black post-game.
It was a better performance than his debut against Phoenix last Sunday. There, he only had six points and three assists against two turnovers.
For the Grand Slam-winning mentor, though, he has no doubts over the skills of the Ateneo De Manila product.
“He’s gonna grow with the team. He’s a good player.
“I know he didn’t get the chance to show that in college last year, but he’s a good player. He knows how to play, he’s confident, and he’s mature for his age,” he said.
With that, the PBA great said that he’ll continue to utilize the 6-foot-2 guard so long as he’s of help to the Orangemen.
“I’ll just continue to give him a shot, put him out there. And if he performs very well, I’ll keep him out there. If not, I will bring back the other players,” said Black.
“But, I’m sure he’s very, very happy tonight that he played well and he helped the team win.”
