TNT’s Chot bares fielding injured Rosario for 'inspirational purposes'
MANILA, Philippines – TNT forward Troy Rosario surprised everyone in Game Four of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals on Wednesday when he started the game for the Tropang Giga despite nursing a back injury and a dislocated finger.
Bucking pain in his back due to "spine shock" and with his left pinky taped, Rosario played substantial minutes in their 106-89 win over the Magnolia Hotshots.
When TNT head coach Chot Reyes was asked about his decision to field Rosario, though, the decorated tactician gave a surprising answer.
"Really, though, he shouldn't be playing," Reyes said.
"The reason why we played him was really for inspirational purposes. As you can see, he couldn't even catch the ball," he quipped.
Rosario struggled in getting anything going, as he fumbled with the ball quite often.
But he still managed to contribute here and there, finishing with five points, three rebounds, an assist, and a block.
More than that, Reyes says, Rosario simply being on the floor was enough to push his team forward.
And with the 29-year-old eager to get back on the hardwood, the TNT mentor was more than willing to give his ward a few minutes of action on the floor.
"He said he wanted to try, and I thought by him being there the message of courage was going to rub off on his teammates, so really, great heart shown by Troy here," said Reyes.
"And I think everyone followed," he added.
Perhaps most who heeded Rosario's message of courage was the TNT bench, which ended up scoring 51 out of TNT's 106 points in the game.
It proved pivotal as it was only Mikey Williams who contributed big numbers for the starters with 26 points.
With TNT now up 3-1, Rosario may only need to buck injury for one more game before they reach the summit of PBA Philippine Cup glory.
Rosario and the Tropang Giga will look for the finishing move on the Hotshots in Game Five on Friday.
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