CHRIS Ellis was itching to come in and play for Ginebra in its PBA Governors Cup showdown against Star Sunday night.
If only he could.
Unfortunately, a tear in his groin has grounded the high-flying Ellis anew as he sat out for the second straight game, missed the Kings' rousing 116-103 beating of the Hotshots in front of a crowd of 16,640 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The same injury also kept him out of action during Ginebra's win over Rain or Shine last week.
"I definitely missed it," said Air Force Ellis, who was in street clothes during the game along with another injured Ginebra personnel, Greg Slaughter.
"This game was awesome. At least I was able to watch," he said of the Ginebra victory, which saw the team claw back from as much as a 17-point deficit in the second quarter. "This was fun and entertainment. Everything in a game."
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Ellis has been playing through the injury since the start of the conference until he was finally forced to sit out.
He briefly came back in the Kings' 115-111 overtime loss to defending champion San Miguel, scoring eight points and issuing three assists in 20 minutes of play.
But the ligament tear in his groin just won't fully heal, forcing a complete rest.
Ellis hasn't had any physical activity of late as he's not even allowed to join the Kings in their daily practice.
"You can't just do anything but wait," he added.
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The former slam dunk champion said the injury is getting better and he feels he'll be ready to play if finally given the go signal.
"But management is giving me time to rest and get ready for the playoffs," he said.
For the meantime, Ellis just have to contend himself with enjoying the show.
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