MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas center Kai Sotto is doubtful to play in the semifinals round of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament-Riga 2024 against Brazil on Saturday tonight at the Riga Arena in Riga, Latvia.
According to Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone, he is still waiting for an update on the status of Sotto after sustaining a rib injury during their 96-94 loss to Georgia on Thursday night.
“We lost Kai Sotto early and never got him back in the game. He is in the hospital getting his rib checked,” Cone said. “We don’t have any news yet on whether he will be able to continue.”
The 7-foot-3 Filipino center sustained the injury in the 6:42 mark of second quarter after Georgia center Goga Bitadze landed squarely on his abdomen while he was down on the floor.
However, according to a report by Spin columnist Homer Sayson, x-rays and ultrasound taken on the ribs of Sotto all turned out negative and there is still a chance for him to play against Brazil.
“Per sources in Riga, Sotto is feeling some soreness and discomfort but there is high optimism that with round-the-clock treatment he will play in Saturday’s semifinals,” Sayson wrote on his X account.
If ever Sotto is to be sidelined, Cone is optimistic that his other big men, namely Carl Tamayo, Japeth Aguilar, and Kevin Quiambao, will step up, just like what they did against Georgia.
“Despite losing him, we fought our way back into the game. We had really good bench production from Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao, and Japeth Aguilar,” Cone said.
“Our team captain (Aguilar) stepped into the void and gave us big minutes, which would have been Kai’s minutes,” the winningest PBA head coach added.
Sotto was one of the key contributors during No. 37-ranked Gilas Pilipinas’ 89-80 upset over No. 6-ranked Latvia on Wednesday night (Thursday in the Philippines) where he tallied 18 points and eight rebounds./PN
