MANILA – Veteran guard Kevin Alas is set to be sidelined anew for NLEX Road Warriors after sustaining his third anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the 2023 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
In a statement on Monday night, the Road Warriors confirmed that the former Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights star guard sustained the season-ending injury, the third in his career.
“The NLEX Road Warriors have confirmed that Kevin Alas suffered a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). The team is currently assessing the extent of the injury and formulating a plan for Alas’s recovery,” the team said in a statement.
“Our prayers are with Kevin for a swift and successful rehabilitation. During this challenging time, we are committed to providing Kevin with unwavering support, resources, and encouragement,” it added.
The unfortunate ACL tear injury of the 32-year-old Alas occurred during the Road Warriors’ 113-112 loss to Terrafirma Dyip on Saturday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
The injury unfolded as Alas aggressively attacked the defense of Dyip forward Javi Gomez de Liaño in transition, causing his left knee to give way in the 11:11 mark of the second quarter.
Alas, who was part of the Gilas Pilipinas team that captured a gold medal in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, averaged 12.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists for the Road Warriors this conference.
This marks the third ACL tear for Alas as he first instance took place against Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots on March 18, 2018, and against Meralco Bolts on February 2, 2019.
Despite the latest episode of an unfortunate incident in his PBA career, the 6-footer Alas still showed resilience as he prepares for another lengthy recovery period from his knee injury.
“My knee may be hurting, but my spirit is not broken because I have Jesus Christ in my life,” said Alas in an Instagram post. “Thank you to everyone who’s been praying [for] and encouraging me.”/PN
