CHICAGO - Barangay Ginebra's path to the 2022 PBA Commissioner's Cup title, potentially the 15th championship in franchise history, just got clearer.
A team official of the Bay Area Dragons told SPIN.ph import Andrew Nicholson will not play in Wednesday's Game Six at the Smart Araneta Coliseum where the Gin Kings can close out what has been an exciting series until injuries took a toll on both sides.
READ: Goorjian confident Nicholson, Yang can play in Game 6
"Nicholson is out for sure," said the official.
Considering that Game Six is more than two full days away, declaring Nicholson's non-availability now speaks volumes to the gravity of ankle injury of the 6-foot-10, 250-pound former NBA player.
Behind Kobey Lam's 30 points, the Dragons won Game 4 to knot the series at 2-2 but without Nicholson again in last Sunday's Game 5, the Gins adjusted accordingly and went on a furious 18-9 start before cruising on to a 101-91 victory that put them on the verge of another crown.
Adding to Bay Area's woes is the ankle injury that forced their resident point guard to sit out Game Five alongside Nicholson, who has missed the past two games of the best-of-seven finals.
"Glen Yang will play limited minutes," the official added.
After spraining his ankle late in Game Four, Yang did not play in Game 5. He was sorely missed as the Dragons offense crawled with only 17 assists against 16 turnovers, helping Ginebra establish an 18-point lead.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph