Paul Harris fractures thumb, Ginebra doctor warns to ‘expect the worst’

Barangay Ginebra suffered a huge blow in their Governors' Cup debut after Paul Harris went down with a fractured thumb in the third quarter of their game against GlobalPort on Saturday.

The 29-year-old import had 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 33 minutes of play for the Gin Kings, but he hurt his hand after trying to block Batang Pier reinforcement Dominique Sutton.

He was immediately taken to the St. Luke's in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, but Ginebra was able to carve out a 93-81 victory even in his absence.

"I wasn't able to check on Paul because he's already in the hospital. Apparently, what I've heard, it's a compound fracture to his hand. Bone was sticking out," Tim Cone said after the game.

The coach said he does not want to draw any conclusion yet about Harris' status, but he admitted that he does not have a backup import who could step in at this point.

"We're gonna check it out. We spent a whole month with Paul, teaching the system, and getting along with the guys. Just be heartbreaking if we lost him," he said.

Cone remains hopeful that Harris' injury is not worse than initially thought and he could still return to action for the crowd favorite Kings.

Ginebra's team doctor, however, warned to "expect the worst" about Harris' hand although some players risk playing despite the injury. —ALG, GMA News