Pogoy out of Gilas Pilipinas with foot injury

TNT veteran gunner Roger Pogoy is out for the sixth window of the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifier due to a foot injury he sustained last week against Meralco.

The sweet-shooting Cebuano sat out last Sunday’s game against San Miguel Beer, which TNT managed to win after Calvin Oftana scored on a putback to lift the Tropang Giga to a pulsating 105-103 triumph.

“It’s not a severe sprain but he needs just a couple of weeks of non (basketball) activity,” TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa told the Manila Times.

Pogoy hurt his left foot during the early part of the game against Meralco. He will be fourth player from the 24-man pool to be declared out after big men Kai Sotto (unavailable), Japeth Aguilar (injured right knee) and naturalized slotman Ange Kouame (knee, ACL).

The 30-year-old Pogoy is having one of his best scoring productions in the ongoing 2022-23 PBA Governors’ Cup that saw him average over 20 points and making 51 percent of his shots from three-point range.

In fact, early last week, the wingman out of Far Eastern University exploded for 40 points, lacing his hot-shooting night with seven triples to lead TNT to an easy 138-116 demolition of Blackwater.

Lastimosa said Pogoy will have to rest his foot during the team’s PBA break, though he doubts if the TNT gunslinger can play in the EASL Champions Week from March 1-5.

The Tropang Giga and the Philippine Cup champions San Miguel Beermen will represent the country in the weeklong EASL tournament after finishing 1-2 in the All-Filipino conference this season.

The weeklong cage joust, scheduled to be played in Utsonomiya, Japan features eight teams divided into two groups of four squads each.

Group A has San Miguel Beer, Anyang KGC, Taipei Fubon Braves and Ryukyu Golden Kings, while Group B has TNT, Seoul SK Knights, recent Commissioner’s Cup runners-up Bay Area Dragons and Utsunomiya Brex.