ANGELES CITY - His condition finally took its toll on him.
Rookie big man Maurice Shaw failed to suit up for Blackwater's game against Barangay Ginebra Thursday night after struggling in his debut outing in the PBA Philippine Cup.
The 6-foot-9 Shaw watched on the bench as the Elite suffered their first loss in the tournament, 103-99.
"He was very honest na wala pa siya sa kundisyon," said coach Nash Racela of the no. 2 overall pick in last year's draft.
Racela revealed Shaw suffered a back spasm.
That was obvious in Shaw the morning after the Elite's 96-89 win over NorthPort as the rookie had to walk with a limp in practice and during the team's aqua training.
"Ganun talaga kapag wala ka sa kundisyon, eh" said Racela.
"But again, we look at the big picture rather than forced players to play right away," he added. "Mahaba naman yung season, sunud-sunod yung games so siyempre there's always risk of getting injured or aggravating injuries."
Shaw, 35, was the last Blackwater player to enter the bubble as he arrived late coming from the U.S.
He didn't get to practice with the Elite at least until three days before the season restart.
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