 |
NorthPort guard Nico Elorde's injury added to the woes of the team after his injury Sunday. PBA Media Bureau.
|
ANTIPOLO-- Bad news for newly-named NorthPort.
The Batang Pier hit a snag after Nico Elorde and
Jeric Teng sustained injuries in the team’s 123-107 loss to NLEX on Sunday at
the Ynares Center.
Elorde hurt his back during a bad fall in the final
minute of the third quarter, while Teng twisted his calf while attempting a
shot on the seven-minute mark of the period.
NorthPort are already playing without star guard
Stanley Pringle, who is in Indonesia playing for the Philippines in the Asian
Games, and scrappy bigman Sean Anthony, out with a calf problem.
Batang Pier
coach Pido Jarencio couldn’t hide his dismay on the situation, saying that the
team already miss the services of Pringle and Anthony.
“Wala talaga e. Kahit anong gawin ko, unang una, namiss namin yung
dalawa e si Stanley and Sean. For sure, baka mga September okay na yung dalawa.
Mga September 1,” said Jarencio.
“Another thing that hurts is Elorde and Teng will be out, there are so
many injured players in our team,” he added. “Yung kay Jeric, yung calf
parang may pumitik. Si Elorde yung bagsak, ngayon di makatayo. Kala namin okay
lang, pero ngayon di makatayo.”
Jarencio
also took notice of his import Rashad Woods, who had a sterling PBA debut with
42 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists.
“Siyempre frustrated din yung tao. Nung dumating siya (Woods), andun si Sean and
Stanley in practice., We played against Magnolia (in tune-up) naglaro si
Stanley with Rashad kaya nakita niya na, positive siya maganda ang takbo,”
Jarencio explained.
But Jarencio remains confident about their chances in the season-ending
conference with the return of his prized guard.
“Alam mo naman yung dalawa, si Stanley nagpapagaling ng kasama e.
Nadadala niya. Yung defense
nacocollapse sa kanya. For now, siyempre, wala e.
Kailangan magstep up talaga yung players e.”
NorthPort will next face Phoenix Fuels, featuring new acquisition Calvin
Abueva, on August 26, before meeting Magnolia on Sept. 1.
Follow him on Twitter: @Teaching_Hero
.JPG)
.jpg)
