Kelly Williams was nothing but relieved on Friday night, as he finally made his way back to the TNT Katropa after suffering an upper body injury prior to the opening of the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup.
The 6-foot-6 forward was commendable in his conference debut, producing 11 points, six rebound, and three assists in the Katropa’s wire-to-wire, 123-95 win over the Columbian Dyip.
“I’m just glad to be starting the conference at all and to be back from the injury,” said Williams, who is still recovering from an undisclosed injury to his upper body.
“The guys have been doing great.”
His teammates, indeed, did a great job in the dominant victory. Six players — including Williams — finished in double figures, and 13 of the 16 Texters contributed at least at one point.
Moreover, TNT shot 54.4 percent from the floor, and most of their shots were made from their 35 assists. Their defense was also solid, as they forced Columbian to 21 errors.
Now that he has come back to the fold, Williams hopes that his return will be of great help for TNT, who now share the top spot of the team standings with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
“I wanna make sure with the inclusion of me, we could be better and play well,” said the 12-year veteran.
But aside from helping the Texters, Williams is also keen on regaining his shape and rhythm — missing five games in a conference is already considered a lengthy absence in the league.
“I’m physically strong. It just has to take time to get my rhythm back, get my legs under me,” said Williams, the league’s Most Valuable Player back in 2008. “This will take time.
“Hopefully in the coming weeks I’ll be able to get myself back to normal.”
