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TNT can only hope for the best after seeing Kelly Williams go down with a calf injury in its Game 1 win over Rain or Shine in the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals
MANILA, Philippines – TNT may have won the battle, but it did not go unscathed.
The Tropang Giga can only hope for the best after seeing veteran Kelly Williams go down with a calf injury early in their 90-81 win over Rain or Shine in Game 1 of their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals on Wednesday, October.
A starter, Williams played just 6 minutes and 15 seconds as he left the game in the opening quarter and never returned.
“Unfortunately, he missed that wide-open layup. He tweaked something in his [left] calf muscle. We hope it’s nothing serious. But he couldn’t put any weight on it,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes.
“He asked to be subbed out. He really felt something in his calf from the start. We had to replace him.”
Even without Williams, though, the Tropang Giga emerged victorious in the opener of the best-of-seven clash as they collectively filled his void, with import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson churning out all-around numbers in 46 minutes.
Hollis-Jefferson finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 4 blocks as he played all but two minutes of the nip-and-tuck affair.
But Reyes said TNT needs Williams for the rest of the series, especially in containing hulking Elasto Painters import Aaron Fuller.
Fuller kept Rain or Shine within striking distance in the losing effort with a double-double outing of 18 points and 21 rebounds.
“We’ll need a lot of him so we’re praying it’s something he can recover from,” said Reyes. “All we can do now is hope.”
Riding on a three-game winning streak since the quarterfinals, the Tropang Giga will shoot for a 2-0 semis lead on Friday, October 11, at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com
