MISSING X-FACTOR
Troy Rosario admitted that his ankle injury had something to do with his struggles in Barangay Ginebra’s loss to TNT in Game 1 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
But he also doesn’t want to use that as an excuse in terms of not giving his all for the rest of the series, especially how he was tagged as one of the possible X factors in determining the winner of the championship series.
“Finals na, kailangan tiisin (It’s the Finals. I have to suck it up),” Rosario said as he hoped to bounce back and help the Gin Kings win the second game being held at press time at SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Rosario scored eight points, but only had two rebounds while playing through the injury which he sustained during Ginebra’s Game 5 clincher against NorthPort in the semifinals.
He said that the sprain has limited his ability at what he does best, especially on the defensive end where Rosario thrives with his physicality.
Had the injury come during the eliminations, Rosario seemed to have hinted at the likelihood of taking some time off.
But in a situation where the championship is at stake, his presence is all-important now for the Gin Kings, who are looking to square things up at 1-1 with a win.
“If I don’t play, it would be a big deal for the team,” Rosario said in Filipino. “My movement is limited, but I can play through it. And most importantly, I’ll be out there on the floor.”
Looking to tie
TNT will be looking to take a 2-0 lead which will put Ginebra in a difficult predicament, though coach Tim Cone, historically, has been able to win titles despite losing the first game of the Finals.
Cone is 10-9 all-time in the Finals after dropping the opener.
Ginebra was also looking for a better showing from the outside after knocking down just seven of 28 attempts from beyond the three-point line, a measly 25 percent that won’t cut it against a team like the Tropang Giga.
Finding ways to stop the Tropang Giga from making as many as 14 threes like in Game 1 could put the Gin Kings in a position to win.
Many saw Rosario as a possible key piece in Ginebra’s attempt to finally beat TNT after two unsuccessful tries.
Rosario averaged 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20 games, his first conference with the Gin Kings after signing as an unrestricted free agent.
Stephen Holt and rookie RJ Abarrientos are also key pieces that would need to step up if the Gin Kings hope to avoid dropping into a deep hole.
