APPARENTLY, Ian Sangalang was also nursing an injury that hampered his movement in Game 1 of the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup Finals between Magnolia and TnT Tropang Giga.
“Back spasm,” was the curt reply of coach Chito Victolero when asked on what ailed the Hotshots’ starting big man in the team’s 88-70 loss on Wednesday night at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym.
Sangalang was no longer fielded in by Victolero the entire second half and finished the game with only five points and a single rebound in 10 minutes of play.
Ironically, TnT counterpart Kelly Williams also suffered back spasm during the course of the game when he tried to go for a dunk midway in the third quarter of the series opener.
The 2008 MVP was later taken out of the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym in a stretcher and brought straight to the hospital.
Sangalang may have suffered the injury pre-finals as he still had a solid performance in Magnolia's close-out game against Meralco in their semifinals series.
The former NCAA MVP finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists in the 93-85 win last Friday.
But Sangalang could already barely move during the pre-game warmup of the series opener, resulting in managing his minutes for the entire outing.
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