FOSHAN, CHINA - As if Gilas Pilipinas' problems weren't bad enough, more bad news came the team's way on Sunday night.
Five-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo skipped practice because of an ankle injury on the eve of his marquee showdown with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in Gilas' must-win match against Serbia in the 2019 Fiba World Cup.
National coach Yeng Guiao was quick to ease the concerns, saying the 6-10 Cebuano big man was only nursing a 'slight ankle sprain' but should be ready to play in the 7:30 p.m. showdown with Serbia at the GBA Sports and Recreation Centre.
"Meron syang slight sprain pero playable naman sya bukas. We opted not to play him in practice today, but he'll be okay for tomorrow," Guiao told reporters at the end of Gilas' light practice.
Still, the injury only means the San Miguel star slotman will not be 100 percent entering his face-off with Dokic, the seven-foot center who in five years has established himself as one of the best big men in the NBA.
At 6-10, Fajardo, along with naturalized player Andray Blatche and Japeth Aguilar, will be counted upon to contain the versatile Dokic, who scored 14 points in 22 minutes in the Serbians' 105-59 win over Angola.
On the other hand, Fajardo was one of the new bright spots in the Philippines' 108-62 loss to Italy, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting to go with six rebounds and two steals.
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