By JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA
ANGELES CITY ‒ Playing limited minutes in the previous outings, Meralco guard Trevis Jackson made the most out of the playing minutes given to him by coach Norman Black against Magnolia on Tuesday.
Black was not disappointed as the Fil-Am guard came through with lethal baskets that helped Meralco complete their remarkable comeback win.
With Meralco staring at an 85-90 deficit, Jackson drained back-to-back triples for a 91-90 lead with 57.2 seconds remaining at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center powered by Smart 5G.
The Fil-Am cager also converted a free throw to pull the Bolts ahead, 94-92, with 15 ticks left before Chris Newsome delivered in the extension period for a 109-104 escape over the Hotshots.
Jackson poured all his 10 points in the crucial fourth quarter to go with three assists and a rebound in just 13 minutes of play.
“I was looking at the statistics and even though he hasn’t played many minutes, he has played quite well in the minutes he’s played,” said Black, whose Bolts rebounded from a dismal 91-105 defeat to Barangay Ginebra last Sunday to improve to 2-2 in the PBA Philippine Cup.
“Tonight we weren’t moving that well. And Trevis has been playing well in the minutes that he’s getting. So, I’m just excited to let him out there and give him a chance to play. He really came up big for the team tonight,” added the multi-titled mentor.
Jackson only scored a combined six points in Meralco’s past three games in the bubble, but he erased any notion about that with his timely explosion for the Bolts.
Black could only see a bright future for the 25-year-old gunner.
“He’s still a young guy. He’s still learning the game, he’s still learning the PBA. But I’m so happy for him that he was very productive tonight to help the team win.
