BIÑAN — Greg Slaughter couldn’t stop smiling after playing his first game in three months.
“Man, it feels great running out there with the guys. It was a lot of fun,” he said after logging in close to 25 minutes in Ginebra’s 105-91 win over Blackwater on Friday.
Coming back from a severe ankle injury that sidelined him since February, the Cebuano giant admitted that there were times in the game where he still felt tentative.
“I felt pretty good on my ankle. But there’s just a little discomfort sometimes. There were a few moments out there I was catching my breath a little too hard,” he said.
The game meant everything for Slaughter, who finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists, as he tried to move past the dark times brought by his injury which took a toll on the Gin Kings’ championship aspirations in the past conference.
“It came out in the worst timing,” he lamented. “We did everything we could to try and come back for the (Philippine Cup) playoffs. But obviously, it was really bad. It was really frustrating but rather than be down about it, just gotta keep working to come back.”
Knowing that he’s still far from being in tip-top shape, Slaughter challenges himself to get better in the games to come, with his eyes firmly set on achieving something he missed out on doing last conference: win a championship.
“I got to work in getting in shape. There’s still time to get in shape,” he said. “It feels great to be back and I’m excited to build on this.”