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SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – Blackwater will have to settle for a roster of 14 men playing their last five games in the PBA Philippine Cup in eight days.
Announced Elite guard Paul Desiderio is now out of Clark’s bubble after sustaining an injury as well as dealing with a personal matter.
Team manager Jacob Munez confirmed Desiderio’s departure, though he did not mention when the former University of the Philippines stalwart left the team.
“(Minor) injury and personal matter,” he said.
“Hindi na,” Munez added if the team is still waiting for Desiderio to return to the bubble.
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Desiderio’s unplanned departure was just the latest setback for Blackwater, which was isolated in the bubble and had two games postponed after one of its players was labeled a ‘probable case’ of COVID-19 inside the bubble.
Later, the league said confirmatory tests showed the result to be a “false positive.”
The departure of the Blackwater shooting guard also left the team with one less player entering a brutal final half of the eliminations, where Elite will have to play their remaining games compressed into eight days, including two consecutive game dates.
The Elite are now in the process of playing the first of those two scheduled games, having faced defending champion San Miguel on Tuesday in a 90-88 overtime game. They play against Meralco next Wednesday.
The team’s other back-to-back games will be Nov. 8 and 9 against Rain or Shine in another morning game (10 am) and Phoenix Super LPG (1 pm).
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It doesn’t help the team at all that three of their great players are currently playing through injuries. Mac Belo and rookie Maurice Shaw are currently suffering from back spasms, while Marion Magat has a hamstring injury.
Belo skipped playing the Beermen, but he’s ready to join the team against the Bolts.
