ANTIPOLO – A cloud of uncertainty is floating above San Miguel after losing Jericho Cruz late in its eventual defeat to Barangay Ginebra in Game 5 of their PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup semifinal series on Friday evening.
The Beermen got blown out by way of a 121-92 result but the crew is definitely most concerned about their two-way winger, who fell down with an apparent right ankle injury at the 9:40-mark of the fourth quarter never to return.
It happened after Cruz stepped on the foot of counterpart Maverick Ahanmisi as he was descending from a rebounding battle against Scottie Thompson.
The pain was so immediate that he couldn’t stand up, leading to a 4-on-5 situation on the other end that led to a Ralph Cu basket with 9:32 left. It pushed the Kings’ lead to 101-79 as they were breaking the game wide open.
Cruz left the match with three points, two rebounds, and two assists against a turnover in the 25 minutes and 52 seconds he saw action.
The 34-year-old winger had to be assisted by some members of the team staff on the way out of the Ynares Center here just to get to his car.
The Beermen are surely crossing their fingers that he suffered nothing serious, especially now that they would need all the help they could get as the perennial contenders got pushed on the brink of elimination following the loss.
Game 6 is scheduled this Sunday in the same venue, with San Miguel hoping, of course, to push their best-of-seven series to the distance.
#WATCH: Tough break for Jericho Cruz, who needed assistance to get to his car after injuring his left ankle in Game 5 of the #PBA2024 Governors’ Cup semis 🏀
📹 @JustineBacnis/ Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/4gjjAp1dUw
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) October 18, 2024
