NorthPort star Tolentino rues anticlimactic end to conference


At a glance

  • NorthPort star Arvin Tolentino rued the anticlimactic end to his stellar conference in the 2023-’24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup after being sidelined in their do-or-die quarterfinals game against Ginebra due to a nagging knee pain.


NorthPort star Arvin Tolentino rued the anticlimactic end to his stellar conference in the 2023-’24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup after being sidelined in their do-or-die quarterfinals game against Ginebra due to a nagging knee pain.

 

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The conference-leading local scorer was reduced to a spectator as the Batang Pier bows out against the Kings. (PBA Images)

The conference -leading local scorer was reduced to a spectator as the Batang Pier bowed out against the Kings, 106-93.

With fans baffled by the sudden absence of the high-scoring forward, Tolentino confirmed that he was sidelined by a patellofemoral knee pain which has been bugging him all throughout the conference and since his Asian Games run with Gilas Pilipinas last year.

Tolentino said he aggravated the injury in their last elimination game against Ginebra although he still managed to torched the Kings with 27 points.

“The whole conference I was feeling it. During Asian Games I was already feeling it but 'nung last game namin medyo 'di na nawala yung pain tsaka 10 out of 10 na siya so I had to go to the doctor and ayun nga 'yung findings,” shared Tolentino.

Tolentino said the injury was far from serious and he would actually suit up for NorthPort should it manage to force a sudden death.

“Good news naman is 'yung structure niya is okay. 'Yun 'yung findings ng doctor so I need to rehab. If nag-game 2 makakalaro pa sana ako,” he added.

Still, it was an ugly end to Tolentino’s splendid performance in the conference that saw him embrace the role as NorthPort’s main man that even put him in the Top 5 of the Best Player of the Conference race.

“We lost today and 'di kami nakapasok sa semis so balewala lang din lahat but our goal talaga, my personal goal, is we reach the semis and from there we see what happens but wala hanggang semis lang. Ginebra nakatapat ang lakas,” said Tolentino.

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone admitted that Tolentino's absence worked to Ginebra’s favor in the contest.

“Arvin’s absence was huge for us. It was a really difficult void for them to fill and you can see, coach Bonnie was trying to do put different guys out there to try fill in that spot and Arvin lit us up with 27 points the last time we played them so a lot of our game plan was on him,” shared Cone.