NLEX’s import Al Thornton. PBA Images/Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines – There seemed to be no stopping NLEX import Al Thornton from scoring after averaging over 33 points per game in his first two outings in the PBA.
Thornton came into Wednesday’s game against Purefoods fresh off a 39-point outburst in a narrow loss to Alaska last Saturday. Hoping to continue his torrid start, he instead ended the night with his worst game so far.
The former NBA veteran scored only 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field, and according to his head coach Boyet Fernandez, the additional padding to cover the metal brace on his right knee affected Thornton’s performance.
“He’s quite disappointed with the way they’ve been questioning him about the brace,” said Fernandez after his team took an 87-62 beating at the hands of the unbeaten Hotshots. “So it simply got into his head. He was probably worried about it and it really changed his game today.”
The 31-year-old journeyman Thornton said he’s been sporting the metal brace as a protection for his surgically repaired knee which he injured a year and a half ago and he’s been wearing it since.
But the metal brace has caused injuries to a couple of players like the Aces’ Vic Manuel and Calvin Abueva, who sustained a knee injury after making contact with Thornton’s brace.
Manuel and Abueva were sidelined in an Alaska blowout loss to Globalport Tuesday night even as the league instructed to add extra cushioning on Thornton’s brace to prevent more incidents.
“We already complied. We covered the brace with three paddings just to protect it. The brace is required by his doctor in the States so we’re just following the doctor’s orders,” said Fernandez.
Thornton said he has no problems with the league’s request but he admitted that he felt “a little uncomfortable” with it.
But Thornton wasn’t making excuses for his shooting woes.
“(I) just had a bad shooting night. I couldn’t throw it in the ocean tonight,” said Thornton. “Some nights, it’s just like that.”
“They had a pretty good defense but I missed some shots that I normally make,” the former Washington Wizards swingman added. “I missed a couple of wide open threes, I missed some layups, I missed some floaters and those are shots that I usually make. They played pretty good defense but a lot of that was on me. It was my fault. I just had a rough night.”
The adjustments that he had to make, though, will involve mostly about getting used to the extra layer on his metal brace.
“That’s pretty much it,” said Thornton on getting accustomed to the padding. “It’s more of a mental thing. I had to make a big change in terms of the brace today. Some of the players from the Alaska game were kind of uncomfortable with it, and there’s complaining so I had to make the adjustment today.”
“I get it. I understand it. It’s something I know I had to get used to. I mean, if it detriments some of the players, I don’t wanna hurt someone’s career or injure someone because of my knee brace, so it was something for me to make the adjustment.”
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