SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – As if weary legs and bodies were not enough, the San Miguel Beermen also missed the services of one of their top guns in a 34-point blowout loss to NLEX on Friday night.
Marcio Lassiter sat out the game at the Angeles University Foundation gym due to a right calf muscle strain.
The Fil-Am wingman averaged 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists as a starter for the five-time defending PBA Philippine Cup champion. He’s also hitting at a 40 percent clip from three-point range in the eight games he played in the bubble.

The injury to Lassiter comes as the Beermen played their third game in the last four days, including the second of a back-to-back.
Lassiter played 34 minutes and finished with 20 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc in a 110-103 loss to Phoenix the night before.
NLEX coach Yeng Guiao commiserated with the situation of the Beermen, but admitted he saw it coming.
“I know they (Beermen) are used to using seven to eight people and then papasok ka sa isang bubble condition na nagkulang pa, meron pang nalagas and yet you’re dependent on those guys playing day in day out, practice day in, day out, masusunog ka talaga,” he said.
Also going down with an injury was big man Russel Escoto who dislocated his left shoulder early in the game against the Road Warriors.
But physical therapist Edward Bacason was able to put the shoulder back in place.
“Recurrent shoulder dislocator na siya,” said Bacason. “Kaya maluwag na yung shoulder, madali ma-dislocate, pero madali din maibalik.”
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