Magnolia's trust in Ricardo Ratliffe amid struggles, injury now paying off

Even when Ricardo Ratliffe was struggling with an injury, Magnolia stuck with him — and that mutual trust has allowed them to get past several do-or-die games and into the quarterfinals of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup.

"We had some struggles in the beginning of the year once I got injured so for them to have faith in me, especially coach," Ratliffe said on Sunday.

"There were lots of rumors going around that I was going home but coach assured me that I was here for the whole season. He trusts me and I trust him."

Magnolia was pushed to the brink of elimination after a shaky start to its campaign, losing six of its first nine games. That stretch, though, happened as Ratliffe struggled due to a shoulder injury, forcing the locals to step up.

But Ratliffe worked his way up again, especially during the holiday break, where he sat down with coach Chito Victolero to discuss how he can regain his top form.

"We had a lot of meetings during the break, especially when I was injured, he told me to just get some rest, work a little with the trainers so I can get back to 100 percent and that’s exactly what happened and it paid off," the 35-year-old resident reinforcement added.

"I thank coach and the organization for trusting me and now we’re heading to playoffs."

Ratliffe is proving that the Hotshots made the right decision to keep him.

He poured in a monster double-double of 32 points and 14 rebounds alongside three assists and two blocks in their do-or-die playoff for eighth against NLEX.

But more than that, Ratliffe also played massively on defense by putting the stops on Mike Watkins, who was regarded as one of the favorites to win the Best Import of the Conference award.

"It takes a lot of focus defending a guy like that, strong and really athletic and four or five inches taller than me. You just gotta stay locked in," he shared.

"I tried to watch film and study the way he rolls to the basket. I know him and Bolick are good in pick and roll and that’s what really gets them going. I tried to make sure I didn't let him get easy lobs."

—JMB, GMA Integrated News