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Michael Calisaan is back with a vengeance for Che’Lu Bar and Grill-San Sebastian as completed his recovery from an elbow injury which had sidelined him for almost half of the 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup.
“I really wanted to play,” he admitted in Filipino. “There’s no more pain and I told the coaches that I’m ready to go.”
It was a complete 180-degree turn for Calisaan, who was already ruled out of the season late in the eliminations.
But he couldn’t have picked a better time to make his comeback as he helped the Revellers book the first ticket to the Finals.
Though still groping for form, the 23-year-old tried his earnest to deliver for Che’Lu-San Sebastian, pouring 14 points and four steals to help his side complete the upset over Akari-Adamson with the 93-90 Game 2 triumph on Thursday.
“When I’m on the court, I don’t feel anything. It’s more of the mental aspect of the injury because I’m still bugged by it at times. But I can say that I’m already at 90-percent,” he said.
Since Calisaan’s injury, the Revellers had undergone a facelift with coach Stevenson Tiu enlisting the help of veterans like Jeff Viernes, Cedrick Ablaza, and Jay-R Taganas. That gamble paid off big time, with the team finishing as the four-seed and eventually, upsetting top seed Akari-Adamson in the semifinals.
And with Calisaan back in the lineup, he’s hoping that the good things continue to pour Che’Lu-San Sebastian’s way ahead of the best-of-five championship series.
“I hope that the blessings continue for our team. We’ll do our best to achieve our goal which is to win the championship,” he said.