PHOENIX won’t have big man Vic Manuel for its do-or-die match against Barangay Ginebra on Saturday for the last quarterfinal berth of the PBA Philippine Cup.
The 34-year-old veteran forward is hampered by a groin injury and won’t be available for the 4:35 p.m. match at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym.
“Vic won’t be able to join for now,” said coach Topex Robinson in a curt reply on the eve of the sudden-death match.
Manuel left the Pampanga bubble after aggravating the injury in the third period of the Fuel Masters’ 110-80 loss to the San Miguel Beermen in their final game of the eliminations.
Manuel exits bubble
Following the blowout loss that left Phoenix with just a flickering hope of earning a quarterfinals berth at 4-7, Manuel quietly exited the Quest Hotel in Clark to undergo an MRI test, which confirmed the groin injury.
The 6-foot-4 forward was later told he’ll be out for two to three weeks and will undergo rehab for the injury.
Manuel averaged 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 11 games played in his first season with the Phoenix franchise.
The Fuel Masters earned a final shot at a playoff berth after Meralco beat Ginebra, 79-66, and NorthPort routed Alaska, 122-94, in the final playdate of the eliminations.
Phoenix ended up tied with Ginebra and Terrafirma, all carrying 4-7 records, but the Dyip had the inferior quotient among the three (-7), and thus paving the way for the Kings-Fuel Masters for the eighth and final berth in the quarterfinals.
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