TROY Rosario is good to go when Barangay Ginebra plays an all-important game against Rain or Shine in the second of a two-game PBA Philippine Cup offering in Bahrain, the league's first visit in the oil-rich Middle East country.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone allayed fears that the veteran forward may not be available for the Thursday game which will be played at midnight (Manila time) against the league-leading Elasto Painters after spraining his ankle in the Kings’ 108-77 drubbing of Terrafirma prior to flying out of Manila.
“He’s OK. Got a little bit of sprain kind of like what Scottie (Thompson) got,” said Cone.
READ RoS repels Magnolia in Bahrain to clinch twice-to-beat advantage
Thompson also suffered an ankle sprain while playing for Gilas Pilipinas against Guam in the second game of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers’ first window, but managed to suit up for the Kings when they resumed their campaign in the all-Filipino conference.
Incidentally, it was Thompson who fell over Rosario while trying to recover a loose ball that led to the sprained ankle of the big man out of National University.
Rosario was able to pick himself up but walked back to the Ginebra bench with a limp. Cone did not let him back in for the rest of the game, saying it was better to rest Rosario than risk further injury.
“He (Rosario) could have come back in the game. But the guys (bench) were playing well, we already stretched the lead, so there’s no reason to really risk him coming back,” said Cone.
Ginebra needs all the help it can get especially against a Rain or Shine side that just beat Magnolia early Tuesday morning (Manila time), 101-92, that assured the team a Top 4 finish and twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
The Kings carry a 5-4 slate and could clinch the last playoff berth with a win over the Elasto Painters.
A loss however, would be costly as it meant facing the 4-6 Titan Ultra in a do-or-die clash when they tangle in the final playdate of the eliminations on Sunday.
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