Ed Daquioag could be out for the rest of the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup.
Terrafirma head coach Johnedel Cardel offered as much after the seasoned guard suffered a horrifying injury in their match with NorthPort, Saturday night.
“Si Ed, I think, out of this conference,” the veteran mentor told Tiebreaker Times moments after their 100-86 defeat at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Daquioag appeared to dislocate his right ankle following an awkward landing as he challenged Robert Bolick at the 5:26 mark of the third quarter.
The 30-year-old was grimacing in pain as he was stretchered out of the court and then sent to the nearby Fatima University Medical Center.
Cardel feels saddened to lose the University of Santo Tomas product, who left the game with four points, five rebounds, and three assists as a starter.
“Kung sino pa ‘yung matapang kong player, yun pa ‘yung nawala,” he said.
NorthPort head coach Pido Jarencio also felt for Daquioag, whom he mentored for three UAAP seasons when he was still handling the Growling Tigers.
“Sana hindi grabe ‘yung injuries ng mga players nila. Tulad ni Ed Daquioag, player ko ‘yan sa college pa lang kaya mahal ko ‘yang bata na ‘yan,” said Jarencio, who recruited Daquioag out of RTU Laboratory High School back in 2010.
It wasn’t just Daquioag whom Terrafirma lost to injuries. Its frontline has depleted as well after Eric Camson and Isaac Go left one after the other.
Camson fell on his back barely three minutes into the match. Go was carried out with 5:24 left in the first as his right knee buckled after a rebound joust.
Uncertain is the status of the Gilas pool member, according to Cardel, as he has yet to undergo an MRI scan sooner to find out the injury’s extent.
The cager-turned-coach refuses to make those injuries an excuse, lamenting that his Dyip “really played bad” all in all.
“Hindi katulad nung first game namin na kahit papano, nandun. But this time, no chance in the fourth quarter, so talagang we lost this game,” he said.
Terrafirma is facing manpower woes moving forward, given what happened, but Cardel believes it is a situation they can work their way around.
“That’s basketball. We will adjust,” he said. “Maguusap-usap kaming coaches kung may ia-activate kami.
“Push na lang, at konting ano sa mga players. Sanay naman tayong may mga injured na player, pero lumalaban pa rin.”
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