AS long as he can withstand it, Paul Lee is determined to play through a sprained ankle going to Magnolia’s sudden-death game against Meralco on Friday.
Still walking with an obvious limp favoring his left foot, Lee shook off the pain and fired 17 points in the Hotshots’ 94-73 win over the Bolts that levelled their best-of-five semis series at 2-2.
Lee still struggled with his shots as he only made 6-of-16 from the field, but stayed on course and led Magnolia’s local charge to help the top-seeded team stave off elimination in the season-ending conference.
If the same effort in the do-or-die encounter meant bringing the Hotshots to the title series, then so be it, according to the 33-year-old veteran guard.
“Nalaro ko nga siya bago mag-start, e. So this is not the right time para isipin ko pa ito,” said Lee, who also finished with five assists.
“Kumbaga, ginamble ko na from the start, so tuluy-tuloy na lang din,” he added. “I just play through it. Meron pa naman akong 24 hours para maka-recover ulit. I-maximize ko na lang siya.”
Game 3 struggles
Lee has been bothered by the sprained ankle since the start of the semis, and that was none more obvious than in Game 3 when he was held to just five points on 2-of-9 shooting.
Already hurting, it doesn’t help that Lee has been the recipient of some of the physical plays Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, including one in which he was left grimacing in pain on the floor after stepping on the foot of Meralco big man Cliff Hodge late in the third period and Magnolia up, 53-44.
But Lee said everything is part of the game.
“I’ll just keep my mental focus, make sure lang 'yung focus ko nandun sa game, kasi ganun ka-importante 'yung game, our back is against the wall nga, di ba?” he said.
“So 'yun mga ganung bagay, hindi na muna natin iisipin 'yun.”
What’s definitely on his mind is grinding out the last game of the semis and hope to arrange a best-of-seven title series against defending champion Barangay Ginebra.
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