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STA. ROSA — Paul Lee slogged his way out of Santa Rosa Multipurpose Complex Tuesday night. His head was slightly down, his gloomy face barely seen as he wore a black cap tilted downward.
Star is one game away from getting swept by Meralco, which looked every bit of a top-seeded team, and the Hotshots could likely be without their prized guard as they fight for survival starting Thursday.
Lee logged only three minutes and 44 seconds in Game 2 in what could be his season-finale after his nagging knee injury recurred at the worst possible time for the Hotshots.
READ: Meralco zaps lackluster Star, nears PBA semis sweep
“It’s the old injury,” Lee told reporters. “I aggravated it last game. I actually just forced myself to play last game. I tested it but I couldn’t.”
He has been bothered by the same knee injury since last year. It was also the reason why he was pulled out of Gilas Pilipinas last March and in May of 2016.
The playoff schedule also didn’t help the 28-year-old’s health issues with teams playing every other day.
READ: Top seed Meralco comes back to beat Star in semis opener
“Our games have been in succession so our PT told me that this is expected to happen. There’s a slight meniscus tear,” said Lee, who scored 11 points in Game 1.
Lee said his status is “day-to-day” and he offered no assurance on whether he’s going to be available in Game 3 on Thursday.
“I didn’t practice yesterday (Monday). I just tried to play today,” he said. “It’s painful. I made a quick move in the first quarter and I felt something.”