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PBA: Petron's depth to be tested as Cabagnot out with plantar fasciitis
By CARLO PAMINTUAN, GMA News
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(Updated 10:23pm) Alex Cabagnot, starting point guard of the Petron Blaze Boosters, walked into the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on crutches. In the first two games of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, Cabagnot had been phenomenal. He had 10 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in game one. And even if they lost game two, Cabagnot submitted an impressive stat-line of 22 points, six rebounds, and an assist.
The Boosters need to get those number elsewhere for game three as their starting point guard won’t be able to help them out due to plantar fasciitis.
“Usually this injury takes six weeks to heal but it's the finals and I want to help my team,” Cabagnot said. “I thought it was just a bruise so I was ready to play through it. But when we saw the ultrasound, he [the doctor] found out it was a tear.”
Instead of carrying a huge gym bag, Cabagnot brought nothing with him, aside from an iPhone and a pair of headphones. Instead of walking straight to their dugout, Cabagnot hesitated. He bowed in front of the wooden crucifix as usual, but his refused to take the steps heading to where his teammates were.
“I really don’t want to go in there,” Cabagnot said. “I don’t want to ruin their vibe. I don’t want my frustration to rub off on them.”
The Boosters were having their best conference in years. They lost their first game in the eliminations, then swept the rest of their assignments. They barged into the Finals by disposing of the Ginebra Kings, finalists in the Commissioner’s Cup, and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, defending champions of the Governors’ Cup. After being tabbed as favorites in the season’s first two conferences, Petron flamed out. But this was supposed to be their time to shine, to make their dream a reality.
“When I woke up this morning, I thought the injury was just a bad dream but when I took a step, the pain reminded me it was real,” said a frustrated Cabagnot. “I tried to walk on it but it was really painful.”
Cabagnot knows that it won’t be easy to come back to finish this series. He knows that forcing himself to play with that kind of injury might come back to haunt him in the long-term, but he refuses to give in to the reality. “I was out of the Finals for two years and I know how difficult it is to get back,” Cabagnot said. “I’m going to try to play next game, ‘cause I don’t want to take this opportunity for granted. There’s no guarantee when we’ll be in this position again.”
As it turned out though, without him and without second-string point guard Chico Lanete, Petron dominated San Mig Coffee. The Mixers were surprised with the line-up Petron trotted as they were outplayed for at least three-fourths of the game. Winning apparently is the best medicine for the injured Cabagnot. He walked into the arena on crutches but he walked out without the assistance though still with a slight limp.
“Are you feeling better?” I asked. “Better. Much, much better,” he answered as he exchanged high-fives with his teammates who also did not take this opportunity for granted. - AMD, GMA News
The Boosters need to get those number elsewhere for game three as their starting point guard won’t be able to help them out due to plantar fasciitis.
“Usually this injury takes six weeks to heal but it's the finals and I want to help my team,” Cabagnot said. “I thought it was just a bruise so I was ready to play through it. But when we saw the ultrasound, he [the doctor] found out it was a tear.”
Petron's Alex Cabagnot in crutches. Denok Miranda will most likely take his minutes for Game 3 pic.twitter.com/j3OXzSbEJo
— GMA News Sports (@gmanews_sports) October 16, 2013
Instead of carrying a huge gym bag, Cabagnot brought nothing with him, aside from an iPhone and a pair of headphones. Instead of walking straight to their dugout, Cabagnot hesitated. He bowed in front of the wooden crucifix as usual, but his refused to take the steps heading to where his teammates were.
“I really don’t want to go in there,” Cabagnot said. “I don’t want to ruin their vibe. I don’t want my frustration to rub off on them.”
The Boosters were having their best conference in years. They lost their first game in the eliminations, then swept the rest of their assignments. They barged into the Finals by disposing of the Ginebra Kings, finalists in the Commissioner’s Cup, and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, defending champions of the Governors’ Cup. After being tabbed as favorites in the season’s first two conferences, Petron flamed out. But this was supposed to be their time to shine, to make their dream a reality.
“When I woke up this morning, I thought the injury was just a bad dream but when I took a step, the pain reminded me it was real,” said a frustrated Cabagnot. “I tried to walk on it but it was really painful.”
Cabagnot knows that it won’t be easy to come back to finish this series. He knows that forcing himself to play with that kind of injury might come back to haunt him in the long-term, but he refuses to give in to the reality. “I was out of the Finals for two years and I know how difficult it is to get back,” Cabagnot said. “I’m going to try to play next game, ‘cause I don’t want to take this opportunity for granted. There’s no guarantee when we’ll be in this position again.”
As it turned out though, without him and without second-string point guard Chico Lanete, Petron dominated San Mig Coffee. The Mixers were surprised with the line-up Petron trotted as they were outplayed for at least three-fourths of the game. Winning apparently is the best medicine for the injured Cabagnot. He walked into the arena on crutches but he walked out without the assistance though still with a slight limp.
“Are you feeling better?” I asked. “Better. Much, much better,” he answered as he exchanged high-fives with his teammates who also did not take this opportunity for granted. - AMD, GMA News
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