Alaska forward Vic Manuel has been ruled out for the rest of the finals series of the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup versus Rain or Shine as he continues to recover from a strained right calf.
The 6-4 forward made the confirmation after Alaska’s Game 5 86-78 win that trimmed Rain or Shine’s lead to 3-2 in their best-of-seven title showdown Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Hindi na ako makaka-laro, out na talaga,” said Manuel.
The five-year veteran, who averages nearly 13 points and five rebounds this conference, strained his right calf in Game 2 of the Aces’ quarterfinal series against the Tropang TNT.
Alaska defeated TNT in Game 3 to barge into the finals for the fourth time in the last five conferences. The team went down 0-3, but has won the last two games to stay in contention for the title.
Manuel is an integral part in the rotation of coach Alex Compton, and has played well with forward Calvin Abueva, who won his first Best Player of the Conference (BPC) last week.
Aside from Manuel, Alaska is also without lead point guard JVee Casio, the fourth year veteran who is out with a bruised right knee he suffered during the elimination round and is also out for the conference.
Backup guard Ping Exciminiano has missed the last two games with a sprained right knee, but is expected to play in game 6 tomorrow at the Big Dome.