There was a point in time that this piece would have been about a key player from the winner of the matchup between the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings and the NorthPort Batang Pier in the 2024 Honda PBA Philippine Cup.

Instead, we’re here today to write about the potential loss of a valuable player for some time.

Jamie Malonzo was on his way to make an exclamation point in the Gin Kings’ 95-88 victory over the Batang Pier but a bad fall put an end to any of that.

Malonzo’s unfortunate circumstances brought back to mind the ACL tear Derrick Rose suffered. The outcome of Game 1 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Playoff matchup between the Chicago Bulls and the Philadelphia 76ers had been decided by then and one had to wonder why Rose was still on the floor. Rose would go on to miss the next season and he pretty much wasn’t the same since then.

We continue to wait for Malonzo’s status and unlike Rose’s case, there was a case for him to be on the court. A seven-point lead with 30 seconds left in the game is far from over in today’s basketball landscape compared to a 12-point lead with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter. Moreover, securing the win in a tight 2024 Philippine Cup is critical with three games left on Barangay Ginebra’s schedule.

Thus, we see how terrible injuries can be, despite them being an unfortunate part of the game. Players step onto the court understanding that there will always be a risk of injury and anyone who has played varsity sports in the Philippines knows that prayers before and after game make mention of avoiding any injuries.

That risk hasn’t deterred Malonzo in his basketball career, as he has played in the US NCAA, UAAP, FIBA international tournaments, and in the PBA. Whether or not this injury is major won’t deter him when he gets back and given how he has worked his way through the various levels of basketball he has played in, expect Malonzo to work his way back to strong form.

In the meantime, the Gin Kings may have to weather through without arguably one of their best players, but another DLSU Green Archer may be ready to fill in his shoes. Ralph Cu was an assist away from a triple-double against NorthPort and his solid showing is another indication of how he continues to make the most out of his chances.

Jamie Malonzo has had an up-and-down 2024 thus far, and this latest injury is an unfortunate setback for the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ young star. The outlook on his injury and recovery is anyone’s guess at this point, but just like how he bounced back from his offcourt incident, we can expect Malonzo to make quite the comeback.