Roger Pogoy admitted that he has yet to reach one hundred percent in terms of health, as he is still recovering from a back injury he sustained during TNT’s 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal clash versus Magnolia two weeks ago.
But that didn’t stop him from suiting up for the KaTropa’s semis opener versus Meralco on Sunday night. And he played as if he’d had no injury.
Pogoy fired 18 points built on four three-pointers, including 12 in the second half alone where TNT built a big lead. The KaTropa hung on for the 103-94 victory to draw first blood in the best-of-five series.
For the 3-and-D specialist, ample time to rest — doctors had advised Pogoy to rest for a full week, making him miss Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the recently-concluded 30th Southeast Asian Games — has helped him plenty.
“Unang-una, buti naman may pahinga ako so naka-recover ako. Sa totoo lang, hindi pa one-hundred-percent eh,” he said.
“Noong isang araw nga sumakit pa eh. Nagpahinga ako, hindi ako nag-ensayo. Tinitiis ko lang kasi sayang eh.”
Game Two is on Tuesday, which means that Pogoy and TNT will only have a day to recover.
That is far less rest than the three-year pro out of Far Eastern University had prior to Game One. So now, Pogoy hopes that the pain will not return so that he won’t be taken aback come Tuesday.
“Sana nga, sa awa ng Diyos hindi na siya sumakit,” hoped the Cebuano cager.
“Yun ang mahirap, baka bukas sasakit kasi ngayon nadala lang sa adrenaline, pero lahat naman gagawin ko para maka-recover.”
