ANTIPOLO – Converge is facing the possibility of playing without Justin Arana in wrapping up its PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup elimination round campaign against San Miguel on January 24 due to a hyper-extended knee.
But all that the FiberXers care about is the welfare of their lead big man, with everyone on the team crossing their fingers that he suffered nothing serious.
“We’re hoping for the best, na sana it’s something na he can just shrug off, maybe take a day off or two,” said acting head coach Franco Atienza.
Arana hurt his left knee just before the third quarter ended during Converge’s clash versus Blackwater at the Ynares Center here. The young center landed awkwardly on his left leg following a euro-step maneuver to end the break.
It took him a while to get back up and had to be aided to the dugout, never to return into the game as the team’s medical staff attended to him.
He left with seven points, five rebounds, and an assist against a pair of turnovers in the 14 minutes and 39 seconds he saw action.
The FiberXers, though, managed to emerge victorious, 127-109, to rise to solo second in the conference standings with an 8-3 record.
Arana was seen walking on his own — albeit limping — while on his way out of the venue, which should give Converge some hope regarding his condition.
Still, the 2023 Rookie of the Year is set to undergo further evaluation to better assess his knee, with his whole squad, of course, praying for the best.
“We’ll see. So far, ine-evaluate pa eh. Then siguro after this, or maybe tomorrow, may further evaluation pa na gagawin,”Atienza said.
“Sana OK naman,” he added. “Initially medyo OK–initially, ha? We don’t know, still, pero masakit daw eh, sabi ni Justin. We will see.”
