With or without injured Salado, Chiefs ready for crucial stretch

Kent Salado. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Kent Salado is hoping for the best after injuring his right knee in Arellano’s 85-79 victory against San Sebastian on Tuesday.

“I believe that I can still play. I just hope there won’t be any tears because if there is, there should be swelling. It’s still hurting. I just wish it was just hyperextended because nothing is swelling,” he said in Filipino.

The speedy playmaker hurt his knee after RK Ilagan fell on him with 8:22 remaining in the fourth quarter, prompting the Chiefs to take him back to the bench.

READ: Salado the hero as Arellano repulses JRU in OT 

Though Salado expressed his willingness to finish the game off, the pop he heard was enough to scare him off and keep him in the sidelines. “I heard something earlier so I didn’t force it. I don’t want to make it worse,” he said.

He refused to go back to the dugout as he wanted to watch his teammates fight with their season hanging in the balance.

Much to Salado’s delight, Michael Cañete, Levi Dela Cruz, and Zach Nicholls picked up the slack as Arellano pulled off the stunner to stay alive in the NCAA Season 93 Final Four race.

With the Chiefs going up 7-9 and forcing a tie with the Golden Stags at fifth place, the Cagayan de Oro native bared that it motivates him to suit up in the team’s last two games as they hope to make a belated run to the playoffs.

READ: Salado repays team’s trust with clutch performance

“With what’s happening, I need to work to help our Final Four chances. But I’m happy that my teammates stepped up,” he said. “I want to come back because our last two games are important ones.”

But if things don’t go his way, Salado said that he’ll gladly be the team’s biggest booster moving forward.

“If I won’t be able to play, I won’t force it. I still trust my teammates that they can get the job done,” he said, as he is set to have his MRI on Wednesday.

Arellano coach Jerry Codiñera also shared that Salado’s status for the game against Perpetual remains up in the air, saying, “Hopefully, he can play. But with or without him, we have to be ready.”

The Chiefs resume their Final Four drive on Thursday against the Altas before wrapping up their eliminations assignment next week against Mapua.