OUT for the last three games, Divine Adili was understandably grasping for his rhythm in his first game back on Wednesday.
But Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin knew better to keep his faith on his Nigerian big, trusting that he will soon get his bearings back for the Blue Eagles.
"He mishandled the ball in the first half, had a couple of turnovers, and missed a couple of shots that might otherwise be makeable shots for him," he said, cutting his rookie some slack, as Adili slowly made his return from a back injury.
"Until this week, he hadn't had a training session, not a single training session, with our team since a week before the season started.
"But I told him in the third quarter, stop trying to be a player and just try to get your rhythm. Just try to get your feet underneath you and get your rhythm. He had a big second half and it was a big factor in the game."
READ: Ateneo comes back to life after furious fightback vs UE
True enough, Adili heeded his coach's call and salvaged Ateneo, stopping its five-game downward spiral with a 15-point, 13-rebound performance to take the 78-74 escape against University of the East.
"Having him back, I don't think we can overemphasize how important that is. We've been a team that's really struggled around the basket this year," noted Baldwin, magnifying the Blue Eagles' struggles, as they rank seventh in the league in points in the paint (24.4) and last in rebounds allowed (47.67).
"It's pretty evident that when Divine is out there, it changes the dynamics for the team, and I think we got more out of him today than we expected 25 minutes is a big effort coming from where he's come from."
Adili addition is big
Yet for the 20-year-old, being back on the court is already a victory in its own.
"I've been itching to get back and I got the opportunity today thanks to God," said Adili, who has been dealing with these issues from the start of the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball tournament. "I think I'm getting there. I just leave it to God."
Though the injury has bothered him, the 6-foot-10 center stressed that his main focus is solely on helping Ateneo no matter what.
"I'm just going to keep working to get 100% healthy, do my rehabs, control the things I can control. I just work out, get my rhythm back, just like coach said, and do my rehab. But I'm really excited to be back," he said.
And that's really all the Blue Eagles can ask for from Adili with four games left in the eliminations.
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