Rain or Shine Elasto Painter Felix Lemetti injured his right hand as he went for a rebound against Shaun Ildefonso in practice.
Felix Lemetti sat comfortably on the bench, cheering on his Rain or Shine teammates as they secured a 94-85 win over Terrafirma Wednesday, June 4.
That would be the setup for Lemetti for the next six weeks after the rookie suffered a fracture on his left hand.
Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao admitted the ache they feel in his absence.
“Malaking bagay (pagkawala) kasi maganda na ang laro ni Felix,” Guiao said after the match at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
“I don’t know if you noticed pero we added minutes to his playing time. We’ve given him a lot of starts sa mga games namin. Binigyan din namin siya ng opportunities mag-finish ng mga laro.”
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Before going down with the injury in practice ahead of Rain or Shine's game against the Dyip, the Fil-Swedish guard averaged 6.38 points, 3.13 rebounds and 3.63 assists in 18.75 minutes of play.
His injury came at a time when the Elasto Painters are making a push for a Top Four finish in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.
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Fortunately for Guiao and his charges, they managed to keep that goal within reach with a 6-3 record, which is currently good for No. 5.
Still, the fiery mentor felt the changes.
“He was just really getting into his groove noong nangyari 'yon. 'Yong epekto, medyo bumagal kami,” Guiao said.
“Kasi si Felix, kapag nagdala ng bola parang kangkarot 'yon. Ang bilis, eh. Natural sa kaniyang mabiis siya,” he added with a smile.
But the Elasto Painters will have to make do with the remaining cards left in their deck as they brace for tougher competition in the homestretch of the elimination round against San Miguel and Ginebra.