Magnolia Hotshots coach LA Tenorio wore two hats in the Hotshots’ 94–83 loss to the TNT Tropang 5G on Sunday: that of a coach and of a player. Don’t be surprised if he keeps the dual role going when Magnolia takes on TNT again on Saturday in a do-or-die quarters clash between the PBA Philippine Cup third seed and sixth seed.
That is unless starting point guard Jerom Lastimosa recovers just in time.
“Mukhang ganoon na mangyayari. But I think with these four days baka malay natin makabalik sya sa lineup (Jerom). Bata pa naman yan,” Tenorio told reporters in a scrum after the Magnolia–TNT game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Madali pa mag-heal yan. So, hopefully he can come back, but if not I’ll be ready naman.”
Lastimosa sustained a high ankle sprain in Magnolia’s penultimate game of the conference against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on December 15 in Bahrain. Paul Lee, another one of Magnolia’s guards, also suffered an injury—a left hamstring strain—in that same game, leaving the Hotshots’ backcourt severely depleted.
Tenorio Concedes Difficult Dual Role, but Says It’s ‘Doable’
Tinyente also acknowledged after the TNT game that being a playing coach—something only seven men have done in the PBA—is quite the challenge. But it isn’t impossible either, according to Tenorio.
“Mahirap sa simula kasi kailangan mo ituro at the same time you have to be on the floor. Maraming kailangan isipin eh. Mahirap. It’s not easy, but it’s doable,” said Tenorio, who tallied 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists in 13 minutes in his first game since Game 7 of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. San Miguel Beermen semis classic in last season’s Philippine Cup.
In case either or both of Lastimosa and Lee remain unavailable on Saturday, Tenorio will likely be doing double duty again, this time with higher stakes. And the many-time champion knows exactly in what areas he will be able to contribute the most—with an assist from the rest of his coaching staff, of course.
“Siguro yung leadership lang sa loob ng court. Dalawang guwardya nawala samin eh. Paul Lee is one of our leaders, para lang magkaroon ng kaunting tulong…,” Tenorio said. “Kaya naman, of course, with the help of my coaching staff. I trust them. I trust them that they’re gonna make good decisions for me.”
Tenorio and the Hotshots spring back to action on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where they will try to extend their quarters pairing with TNT to a do-or-die game.
