MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra is keeping its fingers crossed as it waits on the injury status of star forward Jamie Malonzo.

The Gin Kings won back-to-back games in the PBA Philippine Cup by way of a 95-88 victory over NorthPort on Sunday, April 14, but not without casualty as Malonzo hurt a part of his left leg with just seconds left in the game.

Malonzo fell on his own and limped out of the court while being aided by his teammates.

Still unable to put weight on his injured leg, Malonzo needed to be carried by team staff on his way out of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

“It looks like a calf or an Achilles issue. Not sure, one or the other. I’m not a doctor so I don’t want to make a prognosis,” said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone.

“At this point, he’s going to be out at least a few days. Hopefully, it doesn’t stretch into weeks or months. We can’t afford to lose him.”

Malonzo finished the game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists as Ginebra climbed to third place with a 5-3 record.

The high-flyer has been one of the Gin Kings’ more reliable players with averages of 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, so his potential absence with the playoffs just around the corner could be a major blow for the team.

Set to face TNT, Converge, and NLEX for its remaining games in the elimination round, Ginebra aims to clinch a top-two finish that merits a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

“He’s such a valuable part of our team. He’s such a great teammate and everybody loves him. We’re all going to be feeling bad if he’s not able to play. But just like any other thing, it’s next man up,” said Cone.

The Gin Kings battle the Tropang Giga next on Friday, April 19, at the PhilSports Arena. – Rappler.com