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| Grimacing in pain since the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals, Justin Brownlee will sit out Gilas' Monday night clash with Australia. Dennis Acosta (file photo) |
MANILA—Gilas Pilipinas will be a man down when it takes on Australia in the final stop of its FIBA World Cup Qualifiers third window road trip on Monday night.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas announced on Sunday night that Justin Brownlee will sit out the game at the RAC Arena in Perth owing to multiple leg injuries.
"Justin Brownlee will miss the game against Australia due to hamstring strain and peroneal tendinopathy on his right leg and left knee swelling and cartilage defects," the SBP said in a statement.
In an interview with Perth-based Filipino reporter Neil Bravo, coach Tim Cone admitted that Brownlee was already feeling the pain during Ginebra's hard-fought PBA Commissioner's Cup title run against TNT.
"Back in Manila, we know what Justin went through just recently in a real big seven-game series in the PBA. He was hurting through that series," said Cone, also Brownlee's head coach with the Gin Kings.
The injury somehow explained why Cone deactivated Brownlee during Gilas' two tune-up games in New Zealand before battling the Tall Blacks to a double-overtime classic on Friday.
"We tried to rest him through this whole trip. He didn't practice the whole time we were here in New Zealand and Australia. He tried to play," Cone further said.
Brownlee played almost 36 minutes of action against New Zealand but was held to only five points, and an unsportsmanlike foul after Juan Gomez De Liaño turned the ball over off the inbound pass capped his struggles that factored in Gilas' heartbreaking loss.
"He did his best, but he's just hurting just too much. He just feels like he has no explosion. He feels like he's hurting the team rather than helping the team," Cone further said.
He then said that the anticipated DNP on Monday will be Brownlee's "reward" for giving his all for three years as Gilas' naturalized reinforcement.
"He's given us so much, so it's a much-deserved rest for him. We'll soldier on without him," Cone further said.
Down to only 11 local players, Gilas will face a tall order against Australia, which will parade new naturalized player Bryce Cotton.
