JR Quiñahan has yet to complete a game for NLEX in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup. The veteran slotman had another premature exit Wednesday night, when the Road Warriors took on the Magnolia Hotshots.
The 36-year-old got whistled for his sixth and final foul with 9:08 remaining in the final chapter and with his side trying to protect a lead, marking the second straight time that he got booted out of a match.
Quinahan also got sent out in their season debut opposite Barangay Ginebra San Miguel last Sunday. He incurred a technical foul late in the third quarter, which followed the flagrant foul he got in the first.
“Si JR wala pang natatapos na laro sa amin eh,” said Coach Yeng Guiao.
The fiery mentor admitted that it was tough for the Road Warriors to lose their top big man, especially in a situation such as versus the Hotshots, who came back from 22 points down and won, 103-100.
Quiñahan was flirting with a double-double with 16 points and eight rebounds before fouling out,. It was another wasted outing, since he had a game-high 26 against the Gin Kings until he got ejected.
“Siya ‘yung key big man namin. Napakahirap magtapos ng close game or ng isang hard game without your top big man,” lamented Guiao.
Asked if he had talked to Quinahan — whom he has known since their Burger King days — about the matter, Guiao confirmed that he did. The outspoken coach did not delve into the specifics, though.
“Marami. Pero I think that’s best to just be between myself and the team and JR,” Guiao said. “He’s undoubtedly one of the leaders of the team. Matagal na kaming magkasama ni JR. Naintindihan niya ‘ko, nainitndihan ko siya.
“But wala naman kaming barriers, so I can say whatever I want to say to him, he can say whatever he wants to say to me,” he added.
“Ang tingin ko naman sa susunod na laro, matatapos na siya.”
It wasn’t just Quiñahan whom NLEX lost in the game, though. A total of four players — yes, four — were not able to reach the end of the match.
Kevin Alas and Tony Semerad both fouled out as well. Semerad’s sixth foul proved to be the turning point, leading to a four-point play conversion by Paul Lee that gave Magnolia a 101-100 lead with 32.5 ticks left.
Jericho Cruz, meanwhile, left the game with 2:56 left with an apparent ankle injury. He landed on Hotshots forward Jackson Corpuz’s foot while they battled for the ball near the rim.
Both Alas and Cruz were delivering as expected before exiting the game. The former already had 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists without a turnover, while the latter had 17 on 5-of-8 shooting.
Guiao believes that NLEX could have had a chance, in the end, had one of their top three players managed to stay in the game.
“We lost three of our top players in the endgame, but we still had a chance to win the game,” he said. “Kahit isa lang siguro natira doon, baka may chance pa kami dun sa endgame. I think it was decided by one possession.”
The Road Warriors are now 0-2 in the season. Still, the decorated bench tactician is far from pushing the panic button — for now.
“We just need to work hard. We just need to reset and be able to gather ourselves again,” said Guiao.
“Ako from the Ginebra game to the Purefoods game, malaking improvement kami eh, especially defensively. Breaks lang talaga bandang huli. We’ll still improve in the next game.”
