MANILA, April 15 ------ Barangay Ginebra is keeping its fingers crossed as it waits on the injury status of star forward Jamie Malonzo. The Gin Kings won back-to-back games in the PBA Philippine Cup by way of a 95-88 victory over NorthPort, but not without casualty as Malonzo hurt a part of his left leg with just seconds left in the game. Malonzo fell on his own and limped out of the court while being aided by his teammates. Still unable to put weight on his injured leg, Malonzo needed to be carried by team staff on his way out of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“It looks like a calf or an Achilles issue. Not sure, one or the other. I’m not a doctor so I don’t want to make a prognosis,” said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone. “At this point, he’s going to be out at least a few days. Hopefully, it doesn’t stretch into weeks or months. We can’t afford to lose him.” he added.
Malonzo finished the game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists as Ginebra climbed to third place with a 5-3 record. The high-flyer has been one of the Gin Kings’ more reliable players with averages of 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, so his potential absence with the playoffs just around the corner could be a major blow for the team. Set to face TNT, Converge, and NLEX for its remaining games in the elimination round, Ginebra aims to clinch a top-two finish that merits a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals. “He’s such a valuable part of our team. He’s such a great teammate and everybody loves him. We’re all going to be feeling bad if he’s not able to play. But just like any other thing, it’s next man up,” said Cone.
The Gin Kings battle the Tropang Giga next on Friday, April 19, at the PhilSports Arena.
The Scores
Barangay Ginebra 95 – Standhardinger 25, Cu 24, Malonzo 14, Ahanmisi 13, Thompson 10, J.Aguilar 4, David 3, Pringle 2, Tenorio 0, Pinto 0, Onwubere 0.
NorthPort 88 – Tolentino 19, Munzon 12, Navarro 12, Bulanadi 11, Yu 8, Amores 7, Zamar 6, Calma 4, Lucero 4, Cuntapay 3, Flores 2, Rosales 0, Paraiso 0.
Quarters: 30-21, 43-53, 73-70, 95-88.
Source: rappler.com
Editor's note:
For a team who takes a lot of pride in playing defense, giving up close to 40 points in one quarter is simply not acceptable. And after Magnolia allowed Phoenix to score 39 points in the second quarter of their PBA Philippine Cup showdown at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Sunday, April 14, Hotshots head coach Chito Victolero gave his wards a much-needed pep talk at halftime, which ultimately sparked their 107-93 rout of the Fuel Masters.
Ian Sangalang had a near double-double of 23 points and 9 rebounds, while Jio Jalalon posted 13 markers and 7 boards. RJ Jazul paced Phoenix in the loss with 21 points built on five treys, while Kenneth Tuffin and Jason Perkins added 17 and 16 markers, respectively. Magnolia moved up to a 3-2 slate, while Phoenix fell to 2-5.
The Scores
Magnolia 107 – Barroca 27, Sangalang 23, Jalalon 13, Eriobu 11, Tratter 8, Dionisio 7, Lee 7, Abueva 6, Balanza 2, Mendoza 2, Reavis 1, Escoto 0, Laput 0.
Phoenix 93 – Jazul 21, Tuffin 17, Perkins 16, Mocon 11, Salado 8, Verano 8, Alejandro 6, Rivero 6, Muyang 0, Camacho 0, Daves 0, Lalata 0.
Quarters: 28-18, 47-57, 79-77, 107-93.
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