Black happy to see Amer go full bloom

PBA

By Ivan Saldajeno

QUEZON CITY—With Jimmy Alapag retiring prior to the start of the PBA season, Baser Amer has been given the tough task of being Meralco's chief quarterback.

But a lowly stint in the Philippine Cup somehow proved that it is tougher than everyone thinks.

After the off-season, a different "Hammer" arrived.

Amer had a breakout game at the start of the PBA Commissioner's Cup, and Coach Norman Black was all praises for him.

"Baser Amer is the one that stands out in my mind right now without looking at the stats," Black told the media after Amer led the Bolts to its first win in the mid-season conference right on Day 1 on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

[Related Story: Meralco opens Commissioner's Cup with victory over Mahindra]

Black also said that he is happy to see Amer, who had 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals, go full bloom early into the Commissioner's Cup.

"He has really matured in between the two conferences with the All-Filipino (Philippine Cup) and this one," Black continued. "He seems to have a better grasp of the PBA now on what he can and can't do."

Amer's production plus some more from Chris Newsome made up for a quiet output from the debuting Alex Stepheson.

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