Xinjiang's captain Kyranbek gives directions to teammates in Game 3 of the CBA finals on May 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
URUMQI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- CBA finals define the legacies of great players, even those players aren't at their best because of injuries, Kyranbek Makan is one of them.
The 29-year-old player from Xinjiang side collided with his teammate Sun Tonglin unbalanced on the court after fighting for the ball in Game 2. He didn't find that his two front teeth seriously dislocated until he backed to the locker room.
"Your teeth were broken which need to be removed immediately," team doctor told him, who had to face a dilemma in just two days before Game 3.
According to a recovery plan, Kyranbek needed at least five days to rest after a surgery of teeth extraction, that meant he had to absent for upcoming two straight game in Urumqi.
Xinjiang had fallen behind 2-0 to Guangdong in the best-of-seven finals series, which spurred him to make a tough decision -- Accepting a molar treatment to shorten the dislocated parts now and removing the broken teeth until the finals end.
Xinjiang's captain even refused to anesthesia and accepted the surgery directly because of he worried about that will affect his flexibility on the court, which nobody knows what level of pain he suffered during the whole 30 minutes surgery.
"Compared with setbacks that we had already overcame in this season, my injury is nothing," Kyranbek said. His team got through an unusual season before entering finals, where many players suffered injuries and illnesses ceaselessly.
In Game 3, Kyranbek hit two 3-pointers and limited Marshon Brooks well in the first quarter, receiving a standing ovation from local fans as he was substituted.
