NORMAN Black took the chair for the customary winning coach’s interview heaving a sigh of relief.
It’s been a while, after all, that he was on this stage to talk of what happened in a game his Meralco Bolts just played, a game they ended up winning and winning big.
He was particularly happy that he saw what he needed to see as he and his Bolts make a push to make the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs for the first time in his watch.
“It was nice to see them play with a lot of effort,” Black said of his charges, who annihilated KIA Picanto, 105-76, at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak and get back in the thick of the fight somewhat.
“They played with a little bit of purpose on defense right from the start,” the Grand Slam winner went on. “We need to continue it when we play GlobalPort (on Sunday) and hopefully, take this kind of game into our next assignments.”
The Bolts peeled away from a tight first quarter by holding the Picanto to 37 points in the middle two frames, picking up the intensity on the defensive end, which Black hopes his team would take to its next game and the ones following that.
“That’s what we need to do in the future if we want to win more games,” Black said as Meralco improved to 2-3 (win-loss).
“I thought we had more energy and effort (on defense) tonight,” he said.
After breaking through last week by upsetting Rain or Shine, the Picanto returned to their listless selves when pressure was applied, trailing by as big as 34 to lose for the fifth time in six games and continue occupying the cellar.
KG Canaleta, acquired in the off-season from the free agent market to become the Bolts’ leading scorer, finished with 17 points, though Black was particularly happy on the return of Cliff Hodge to active duty more than anyone else.
“Nobody is happier than me to see him back,” Black said of his 6-foot-4 banger who brings intensity to the table first and foremost.
Hodge saw action for the first time this season and was 4-for-4 from the field for eight points that went with six rebounds in under 19 minutes as Black broke him back in slowly.
But those numbers are a bonus to the intensity that he brings.
“That’s what Cliff is all about,” Black explained as he pointed out to their soft defensive stand against TNT KaTropa last week that resulted in an 81-99 loss. “He gives us a lot of effort out there and he is a total team player.”
Black is also awaiting the return of Ranidel de Ocampo from the injured list, but admitted to not having a timetable for that.
“We need them,” he said of Hodge and De Ocampo, whom he described as his “best big men in my team.”
Rashawn McCarty also had 17 points to lead the Picanto.
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