Tanduay still on the rocks

Already struggling with Eric Menk still out without citizenship confirmation papers from the justice department, Tanduay Rhum is likely to prolong its agony as Bong Hawkins will sit out at least the next two weeks with a partial ligament tear on the shoulder.

Tanduay will miss Hawkins in at least three games, including its match versus the tough San Miguel Beer squad tonight at the Araneta Coliseum.

"We’ll surely miss Bong. It’s already bad that he’ll sit out the next two weeks. Worse is that we’ll miss him in a stretch where we’ll be up against formidable rivals," said coach Derick Pumaren, whose team is ranged against San Miguel, Red Bull and Shell in their next three outings.

"My backup players should step up. Hopefully, Oliver Agapito can fill in the void left by Bong," he added.

The Rhum Masters, along with the Alaska Aces and the Sta. Lucia Realtors, are in the cellar with a 1-3 win-loss record. Tonight, they are up against the Beermen, who pace the field in the All-Filipino Cup with a clean 3-0 mark.

"I’m sure mahihirapan kaming mag-matchup with them (the Beermen) dahil malalaki sila. We have no other choice but to work very hard," said Pumaren.

Red Bull’s Mick Pennisi is another marquee player who will sit out at least the next two weeks also because of an injury.

The 6-foot-10 forward sustained a shin injury after a bad fall in their game versus Alaska Friday. The Thunder rode on the fourth-quarter exploits of Lowell Briones as they survived the early ouster of Pennisi, scoring a come-from-behind 73-72 win.

Red Bull (3-1) gained a piece of second place with Shell on that victory, moving a full-game ahead of Barangay Ginebra, Purefoods and Pop Cola.

The Gin Kings try to narrow the gap as they go for a third win in five starts versus the Mobiline Phone Pals (1-2) in tonight’s other game.