Gone till November: Marc Pingris resting up before return to Purefoods

Marc Pingris will not be cutting his break short despite watching his Purefoods Star Hotshots get whipped by the Alaska Aces in their first outing in the 2015 Philippine Cup on Wednesday.

Pingris, who watched from the sidelines as Purefoods got pummeled by Alaska, admitted he felt the urge to play and help his team.

"Syempre nanggigigil, gusto ko maglaro, gusto ko matulungan 'yung team ko," Pingris said. "Pero may panahon para magtrabaho tayo diyan."

Pingris, who is currently resting after playing for Gilas Pilipinas in two major international tournaments, said he would be back in action in November.

Asked whether his absence was a factor to the team's opening loss, Pingris said he would have been able to contribute, but noted that the team as a whole lacked energy the whole game.

"Hindi naman 'yun talo kami dahil wala ako," Pingris said. "Makakatulong ako sa team but kailangan din naman talaga nilang magtrabaho e."

Pingris said they are taking the loss as a learning experience for the team, which completed the Grand Slam last season in collecting the titles for all three conferences.

"Kahit na masakit, okay na ngayon natatalo kaysa naman pag nasa kalagitnaan ng liga," Pingris said. "At least may natutunan ngayong gabi." — JST, GMA News