MANILA – Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will be parading Carl Montgomery as its new reinforcement in the 2019 Honda PBA Commissioner Cup with Denzel Bowles ruled out for the rest of the conference due to leg injury.
Painters head coach Carlos Garcia said that he is hoping Montgomery can replicate the numbers of Bowles in their final two elimination round matches to keep its playoffs hopes alive.
“It would be hard to match what Denzel had provided us. But Montgomery will surely be a big help on the defensive end,” Garcia said. “We are going to use him in the next two games and hopefully, at the end of the conference.”
“He is going to fit well. Mabilis siyang pumick up ng play. We will be a small team now. At least, we can be a quicker team. Nagfifit naman siya sa quickness ng mga players,” he added.
Montgomery played four seasons with the Chicago State in the US NCAA before taking his talent in Europe with stints in Latvia, Estonia and Belgium. He is fresh from a stint with the JD Unicorns in the Malaysian Pro League.
Bowles was ruled out for the rest of the conference after hurting his knee in a collision with Jeron Teng late in the second quarter of the Painters-Alaska Aces game last Saturday.
Bowles said he heard something crack in his knee and the doctors said that he sustained a medial meniscus tear and a small medial collateral ligament tear in his knee.
The Painters, currently tied for sixth place with the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters at 4-5, are scheduled to face Magnolia Hotshots tonight before winding up their elimination assignment against San Miguel Beermen on Saturday in Cagayan de Oro City./PN
