PBA: Jimmy Alapag describes DeQuan Jones' impact for NLEX as import goes down with freak injury

As DeQuan Jones went down with a leg fracture, NLEX head coach Jimmy Alapag said that he will miss the import's value to the team on and off the court. PBA Images

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—DeQuan Jones has found a Philippine basketball home in NLEX that, even if he is only just mentoring him this year, new head coach Jimmy Alapag said that he is feeling the swingman's presence on and off the court.

"First and foremost, my deepest prayers go out to DJ. More than the basketball player, it's the person," Alapag said on Tuesday night.

"His value to this team goes far beyond what he does on the basketball court. Again, it's the person, it's the leadership, it's the character, so it's heartbreaking to see him go down."

In an indeed heartbreaking moment with 7:27 left in the third quarter, Jones went down with what was initially reported as a complete lower-leg fracture while looking to score a layup off TNT's defense in their PBA Governors' Cup game at the Ynares Center 1 in Antipolo.

Some players from both teams turned emotional after the gruesome scene on the hardwood, which abruptly ended Jones' second stint with the Road Warriors.

"Talagang pinagdasal namin kasi alam naman natin na si DJ ay isa sa mga pinakainaasahan sa team," said LJay Gonzales.

Alapag then said that he told his players, after seeing Jones go through a stretcher, to use the remainder of the game as a tribute to him.

"I told them when DJ went down, 'The best thing that we can do to just honor what he means to this team is to come out and fight for the rest of the game,'" Alapag said.

TNT somehow took advantage of NLEX going all-Filipino as the former slowly seized control of the game and was just 13.4 seconds away from completing a comeback from 14 points down.

However, Robert Bolick came to the Road Warriors' rescue, scoring a tough left-wing four-pointer with 2.2 seconds left, which capped a 10-point swing in 41 seconds to send the game to overtime.

"It was a lost game there at the end, but again, Berto has been an elite point guard in this league for a long time. It's been great to see his growth through these first eight games, and he hits a big-time shot," Alapag said of Bolick, who finished with a team-high 27 points.

Then Gonzales helped complete the job in extra time, scoring six of their 11 points—the other five from Anthony Semerad—to contribute significantly to extinguishing the Tropang 5G.

"LJay was huge down the stretch. End of the third, entire fourth, and in overtime, he was just making big play after big play, and I think LJay's putting the PBA on notice that we're not just a team with two guards. We also have another star in the making coming up," Alapag said of Gonzales.

"Grateful ako at sobrang sarap sa feeling na mapakinggan yung mga ganoong bagay," added the former MPBL all-star, who had a PBA career-high of 26 markers.

Describing the victory, Alapag said, "I'm just super proud of the guys. Not easy being a championship-caliber team like Talk 'n Text, but again, the heart and the will and the competitive spirit that they showed tonight, I'm really, really proud of."

The concern now is whether NLEX will quickly fly in a new import for its Friday night game against Converge at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

With the Gilas Pilipinas break coming up starting on Saturday, another option is for the Road Warriors to defer an immediate signing, play all-Filipino against the FiberXers, and just use the two-month break so the new import will have more time to learn the system before PBA action resumes in October.

"After we speak to the team, I'll get our staff together with the team management and try to figure out what we can do kasi ang next game namin is Friday, so medyo bitin yung time. We'll do the best we can, but again, right now, all of our thoughts and prayers are with DJ. Big-time loss for our team, but we'll try to find somebody who can fill that void," Alapag said.

NLEX has until noontime Thursday to inform the PBA of an import change in time for the Friday game.