Kelly Williams could be back soon.
TNT head coach Chot Reyes said that the former PBA Most Valuable Player may return by Game Five of the Honda Philippine Cup semifinals next week.
“I think a couple more days. I think the earliest possible is Game Five, and it’s still not a guarantee,” said the veteran mentor.
The 39-year-old has been under the league’s health and safety protocols since Sunday, meaning he hasn’t seen action in the semis yet.
Prior to sitting out, Williams had posted per-game averages of 6.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 assists in 25.8 minutes.
Still, the Tropang Giga are managing well despite his absence. On Friday night, they beat San Miguel by way of a 115-98 rout to take a 2-1 lead.
One of those who have been ably stepping up in lieu of their starting center is Poy Erram, who had registered 21 points and 13 rebounds,
It was his second straight double-double performance in the series as he had 20 and 10 in Game Two although it came in a losing effort, 96-98.
“Siyempre, we don’t have Kelly, so as a team, it’s very challenging for us,” said the 6-foot-7 slotman, who’s now in his second season with TNT.
Reyes, meanwhile, said that the Tropang Giga are simply keeping their focus on the task at hand while they let one of their leaders clear up protocols.
“As a team, we’re not thinking of that. We want to just keep our focus and our minds at the task at hand,” he said.
“But I think the earliest nga is Game Five.”
