The veteran playmaker felt helpless as he sat on the sidelines recovering from a flu and minor right knee injury, missing the game along with fellow point guard Jerick Cañada, who fractured two fingers on his left hand.
“I wanted to play, but I told coach (Leo Isaac) let me warm up and see how I feel after,” Cortez said in a short chat with Spin.ph after the game.
The former mythical second team member revealed he could’ve played, yet gave way to third stringers Almond Vosotros and Juami Tiongson.
“It was coach’s decision. It was fine by me,” Cortez insisted. “It was a good experience for our younger guys anyway.”
Tiongon made the most of his nine minutes, scoring six points, two assists, and one steal, whie Vosotros chipped in two points, two assists, and one steal in 15 minutes.
Cortez hopes to return by Sunday when they face GlobalPort at the Big Dome.
“I was still feeling weak and still getting over it, so hopefully by Sunday, I’ll be able to play,” the 13-year veteran said.