JAYSON Castro and Henry Galinato missed Game 2 of the PBA 50th Season Commissioner's Cup semifinals due to injury and illness, respectively.
Castro and Galinato were out on the same night that TNT lost Bol Bol to a suspected partial Achilles tear in his left foot, which will expectedly rule him out for the rest of the conference.
READ: TNT medical staff fears Bol Bol has suffered partial Achilles tear
Tropang 5G coach Chot Reyes said Castro twisted his knee back in Game 1, although the player who's the newest member of the 10,000-point club was in uniform for Game 2.
“Hopefully, we can get him back on Sunday. But that's a game-to-game decision,” Reyes said of his veteran guard, who played 14 minutes and had three assists in the series opener.
Galinato, for his part, is dealing with a fever and was not at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“After the game (Game 1), hindi na siya naka-practice kahapon. Our team doctor opted to keep him home kasi baka makahawa pa siya,” said Reyes.
Severely shorthanded
The absence of the two rotation players plus Bol affected TNT's chances in Game 2 where it lost, 87-76, to Meralco.
The development also came at a time when the Tropang 5G were just getting healthier, with previously injured players RR Pogoy and Jordan Heading providing major contributions.
“I thought we played well enough. But then, without Bol, without Castro, without Galinato, it was too hard,” said Reyes.
“Very proud of the work of the guys. Kulang lang talaga. Hindi lang import nawala. Plus two key players pa.”
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