Escoto leaves the venue in crutches. Photo by Randolph Leongson/INQUIRER.net
Just when Russel Escoto is finally getting his groove on, the Gilas Pilipinas pool member hurt his knee after a bad fall late in the first half of Mahindra’s game against NLEX on Friday.
The 23-year-old’s left knee buckled as he fell down after a rebound battle against Road Warriors center Fonso Gotladera with 23.1 seconds left in the second quarter.
Escoto writhed in pain on the floor before being stretchered back to the Floodbuster dugout.
It was the same knee which the FEU forward hurt his ACL back in 2013, forcing him to miss UAAP Season 76.
He was playing superb with 12 points on a 5-of-5 shooting from the free throw line in 12 minutes on the floor against NLEX before the injury.
Escoto has been averaging 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in his first conference in the pro league.
He was taken to San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay for MRI.
“The doctor said that it’s just a minor injury on my LCL [lateral collateral ligament],” said Escoto, as he made his way out of the venue in crutches.