Norman Black wants more production from Meralco bench

MANILA, Philippines—Meralco got solid outputs from its usual players, but the same can’t be said for its supporting cast.

The Bolts absorbed 91-87 Game 1 loss to Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Governors’ Cup finals Tuesday with Allen Durham, Chris Newsome, and Raymond Almazan all hitting the 20-point mark.

But the rest of the team combined for just 18 points in the defeat with the bench players contributing just six.

“I felt like we didn’t get any production at all from the bench, that’s something we have to fix going into Game 2 because I have to take my starters for a little while to give them some rest,” said Black.

Outside the trio of Durham, Newsome, and Almazan, the Bolts shot a combined 5-of-24 from the field with Baser Amer hitting the most miserable stretch going 2-of-10.

Amer’s shooting was also a point of concern for Black, who expected more from his point guard.

With more almost five seasons in the league, Amer is on his third finals series and Black said those couple of championship rounds should’ve hardened his point guard.

“We have to try to find a way to get Baser break through this team because he struggled even in the last couple of championship series that we played against them,” said Black of Amer who averaged 14.2 points a game prior to Game 1.