Tired and hurting

Ian Sangalang could be drafted for national team duty during the PBA break. —SHERWIN VARDELEON

Two weeks may seem enough for a team to prepare for the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.

But Magnolia will also be lending two of its primary cogs to the national cause, making the break seem a little bit shorter for the Hotshots.

Fortunately, Magnolia coach Chito Victolero isn’t one to fret. At least, not yet.

“It’s their job to serve the country,” the mentor said of Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang, who are part of the national selection from which the squads that will compete in the fifth window of the Fiba World Cup qualifiers will be selected.

“I believe that if you’re a pro, you [should be prepared] to serve the country,” Victolero told the Inquirer in Filipino.

But Lee and Sangalang are not only running the risk of exhaustion with their participation to the buildup for the Asian tournament. The former risks aggravating his problematic knee, while the latter has been hobbled by injuries to his achilles and knee.

Victolero, however, said there are advantages to having Lee and Sangalang play with the national side despite a looming title duel against Alaska.

“It’s beneficial for Paul and Ian anyway,” he offered. “For one, it’ll be a series of competitions they’ll figure in.”

“That will favor them,” Victolero added, because it will keep both players sharp during the long break.

“Probably the only disadvantage on their end is that they’ll be short on rest,” he noted. “They will definitely feel it.”

Victolero was hardly concerned even with Romeo Travis’ injury.

“You know, if you have an import like Romeo who battles through pain, there’s no reason to give up so easily,” he said.

“It’s going to take some time,” Romeo said of his hamstring injury. “Coach has given me a schedule so I’m going to work with it and just try to be as respectful to it as I can be. Barring a setback, I don’t see why I won’t be able to play. I’m feeling a little better … I feel less pain.”

Faced with manpower concerns, Victolero has turned to a coach’s favorite cliché ahead of Game 1 of the Finals scheduled on Dec. 5 at MOA Arena.

“Maybe you’re so tired of hearing ‘one game at a time,’” he said. “But really, that’s the truth.”