Norman Black looks at bright side after Meralco’s semis exit

Meralco head coach Normal Black. photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Despite the 76-70 heartbreak loss in the semifinals against Alaska, Meralco head coach Norman Black knows his team has made big leaps after the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

From a 1-10 record in the Philippine Cup, the Bolts reached for the rafters and topped the ensuing conference and even made it to the fifth game of the semifinals.

Meralco may have lost but Black said the improvement was evident.

“We won one game from the last conference and we won 11 this conference so that’s a big improvement,” Black said Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “So that’s the biggest positive.”

“We made a lot further than anybody thought we could, we’re building blocks to continue getting better.”

Meralco was in the position to actually shock Alaska with less than two minutes remaining after leading 67-66 on a Jared Dillinger three-point play but a couple of turnovers saw their hopes fizzle, giving the Aces another crack at the crown.

RJ Jazul sunk crucial free throws with over 27 seconds left and the Bolts just crumbled.

Making things worse for the Bolts was Jimmy Alapag’s hand injury he sustained early in the game, taking him out in the crucial stretch in the fourth.

Despite the exit, Black believes his team’s Commissioner’s Cup campaign, which included a 5-0, was not a stroke of luck at all.

“Let’s just say the expectations probably were a lot less for our team this conference and we probably did better than what people thought we could do,” Black said. “It’s not a fluke.”