THE Bay Area Dragons were ready to play without an import in Game Four of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra.
Myles Powell wasn’t even in the conversation of taking over from injured fellow import Andrew Nicholson, according to coach Brian Goorjian.
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“He (Powell) was never an option, never an option,” said Goorjian following the Dragons’ 94-86 win over Barangay Ginebra Kings on Friday night that leveled the best-of-seven title series at 2-2.
“Myles is a done deal and it’s not happening. Myles is out.”
Talk of the guest team from Hong Kong bringing back the 6-foot-2 Powell grew after Nicholson badly sprained his ankle in the dying seconds of an 89-82 Game 3 loss last Wednesday.
Under the agreement reached by Bay Area and the PBA, Powell can come back and take over Nicholson if the latter got injured.
But once Powell returns, Nicholson will no longer be eligible to play again in the event Powell goes down with another injury.
But Goorjian said it was Nicholson or nothing for the Dragons.
Considering the severity of the earlier injury Powell suffered, no way could he substitute for Nicholson and play the rest of the finals, Goorjian said.
“Myles snaps something in his foot and there’s a time frame for it. He has not played since he’s done that. He’s been in the weight room and doing some strength work,” said Goorjian of his other talented import.
“But he’s not ready to step on the floor and go. It would snap. And so it’s a six- to eight-week proposition, and then he needs practice.”
Then again even playing import-less, the Dragons were able to pull this one off and reduced the series into a best-of-three.
Game Five is set on Sunday also at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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