A hip flexor strain is the reason why Cameron Clark found himself reduced to a spectator on the sidelines during Hong Kong Eastern’s eventual win over Blackwater in their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup duel on Tuesday evening.
Head coach Mensur Bajramovic disclosed that the veteran reinforcement pulled a muscle in his hip and has yet to return to basketball activities.
“It’s about his hip flexors. He has one pulled,” he said after their 84-75 win over the Bossing, which hiked their record to 4-1 in the mid-season conference.
“Nothing serious, but he needs to stay out of practice and take treatment. I hope he will soon be ready,” the Bosnian bench tactician added.
Clark is listed as day-to-day and the team is exercising patience as well before making the next best move regarding the former PBA import.
“We have an EASL game on the 18th of this month against San Miguel. Then we will see later on how it’s going to be,” said Bajramovic.
For now, though, Eastern is going with Chris McLaughlin, whom the ball club activated ahead of their meeting against the Bossing.
The 6-foot-10 center has been with the team since November of 2022, so chemistry won’t be an issue – as evidenced by the way he performed right in his very first taste of action in Asia’s pioneering pro league.
He overcame foul trouble and went on to finish with 32 points and 23 rebounds, together with three assists, a steal, and a block.
McLaughlin played a key role in the come-from-behind win that saw them erase a 49-39 halftime deficit.
“I’ve been here in Manila training with the team every practice, and preparing for the moment in case I was called up to play,” said McLaughlin.
Eastern will next face Barangay Ginebra on Sunday, December 15, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, bidding to register win no. 5 of the tilt.
