Gilas practices with 9 players; Ginebra trio rests

Barangay Ginebra’s twin towers Greg Slaughter (left) and Japeth Aguilar chat with Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tab Baldwin. Slaughter, Aguilar and teammate LA Tenorio skipped practice to rest. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

With Barangay Ginebra scheduled to play its second game in three nights on Tuesday, LA Tenorio, Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar skipped practice with Gilas Pilipinas on Monday night to rest.

“We’re just going rest tonight because we have a game tomorrow (Tuesday),” said Tenorio.

Tenorio, Slaughter and Aguilar still showed up at the team’s practice venue at Meralco gym in Pasig to show their support.

Gilas practiced with only nine players with June Mar Fajardo, Marc Pingris, Jeff Chan and Paul Lee also out.

Fajardo and Pingris were doing a commercial shoot with celebrity Vic Sotto while Chan and Lee are present in practice but didn’t participate due to injuries.

“My tendon’s still hurting. I couldn’t even finish practice with Rain or Shine because of it,” said Chan. “It’s been bothering me for four days now, but I’ll be fine.”

Lee is still nursing a knee injury which he sustained a little over a week before the 2016 PBA Philippine Cup opened.

Those who suited up were Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Troy Rosario, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Gabe Norwood, Ryan Reyes, Jayson Castro, Marcio Lassiter and Moala Tautuaa, who was again called up by head coach Tab Baldwin to help out.

Ginebra, which got blown out by San Miguel Beer Sunday night, will play winless Meralco Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Biñan, Laguna.