MANILA – Bay Area Dragons reinforcement Myles Powell denied faking a toe injury that nearly sidelined him the entire 2022-2023 PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs round.
The former Philadelphia 76ers guard made the clarification after some PBA fans accused him of faking his toe injury after dropping 29 points in Dragons’ 87-84 win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in Game 6 last Wednesday.
“I’m still not healthy. I’m still not a hundred percent. That was my first time running up and down since three days before Thanksgiving since our last game,” said Powell, who permanently replaced big man Andrew Nicholson as Bay Area’s import in the finals.
“I was winded,” he added. “You see I didn’t start the game. I didn’t start the third quarter. Coach Brian (Goorjian) didn’t really play me that much, but I did what I could with the time I was out there.”
Powell was instrumental in Dragons’ come-from-behind victory as he scored six straight points that turned a 78-82 deficit to a slim 87-84 victory and tie the best-of-seven series at 3-3.
Goorjian, for his part, said that he actually does not want to reactivate Powell in the series fearing that the one-time NBA player might aggravate his injury but the import insisted on playing.
“I’ve been honest all the way through. Myles was done. He wasn’t ready. He hasn’t done anything under his legs. The guy that had conditioning and we thought was the closest that would come back was Nick (Nicholson),” Goorjian said.
“From the fitness guy telling me, the doctor telling me, Myles (was) saying I want to play. I certainly want him to play. (But) I didn’t want to risk his health and I told him that,” he added.
Now that the championship series is shifting to the 50,000-seater Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan for the do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday night, Powell is determined to keep his personal unbeaten record in the PBA and bring the title to the Bay Area.
“Job’s not finished. We got one more. So Sunday, we’re going to come, we’re going to battle. And hopefully then, I have something to say to those who were doubting my injury,” he added./PN
