AS NorthPort faces elimination in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, one player who has yet to see action for the Batang Pier is Jio Jalalon.
The 32-year-old guard has played just one game this conference, a five-minute, 53-second outing against Barangay Ginebra in the elimination round where he dished out two assists last January 8.
Apparently, Jalalon’s previous injury to his back that kept him out early in the conference acted up again, forcing him to miss the rest of the midseason conference for his new team.
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Specifically, Jalalon’s injury is sciatica which concerns the sciatic nerve that runs from the hips to the buttocks area, according to online resources.
MyClevelandclinic.com says the nerve is from “down the leg on their side of your body until they reach just below your knee” and “split into other nerves that connect to parts farther down, including your lower leg, foot and toes.”
The injury layoff is a pity for the former Arellano Chiefs star, who should be still in action while his former team Magnolia has long been gone from the playoffs.
Jalalon and Abu Tratter were traded to NorthPort by Magnolia for Zavier Lucero last July.
Jalalon said he is already training and setting his sights on the next conference, hoping that his back will no longer be an issue.
Jalalon would have been a boost for NorthPort as far as championship experience is concerned. The 5-9 Arellano product was part of the Magnolia championship team during the 2018 Governors’ Cup, the last time the Hotshots won a title.
NorthPort would have had a deeper guard rotation that could also help sophomore Fran Yu and rookie Evan Nelle as they compete in the playoffs.
The Batang Pier seek to avoid a sweep and ouster from the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals in Game 4 against Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
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