THE injuries just keep piling up for Alaska.
Already without three key players, guard Chris Banchero added to the Aces’ woes after ending up with a broken finger in his left hand during the Aces’ 109-95 win over Blackwater on Wednesday night in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Banchero hurt the finger early in the second quarter as he tried to poke the ball away from a Blackwater player. He failed to finish the game as he was rushed to the hospital and ended up with only four points (2 of 4 shooting), two assists, and three turnovers.
As the Aces walked away with their second straight win to tie Rain or Shine and Meralco on top of the standings, Compton received the bad news.
“He (Banchero) broke a finger on his left hand and is out another four weeks,” Compton disclosed to SPIN.ph an hour after the game.
[See Jefferson continues to impress as Alaska cruises past Blackwater]
Banchero already injured the same left hand when he accidentally hit Jason Castro during the Aces’ game against TnT Katropa during the Philippine Cup eliminations. He would later fracture the same hand a few games after that kept him out for the rest of the all-Filipino campaign.
“Same hand but different finger yata yung na-injure ngayon,” shared Alaska deputy coach Louie Alas.
The third-year guard joins hurting teammates Dondon Hontiveros, Jvee Casio, and Vic Manuel on the sidelines nursing different injuries,
Hontiveros is out with a partial tear on his meniscus, while Manuel and Casio are both recuperating from separate sprains.
“It is difficult for him (Bancehro) and us, but he will do the rehab and come back strong,” said Compton of the Fil-Italian guard.