Ideally, he would have been training with the Otago Nuggets in preparation for their must-win game against the Canterbury Rams tomorrow.
Instead, the former Tall Black was stuck in a dimly lit waiting room, hoping to be called in for an operation on his nose.
Said nose was leaning to one side rather alarmingly. It had come to rest at that odd angle after colliding with some part of Taranaki Mountain Airs forward Aaron Bailey-Nowell's body.
Polyblank was not sure exactly how it happened - he was blindsided - but he is used to the bumps and bruises of basketball. It is the third time the 35-year-old has broken his nose during a game.
He had planned to retire at the end of the season but has had second thoughts.
''I found a renewed energy that I hadn't had and I felt I wanted to play again this year,'' Polyblank said.
''I've always thought this would be my last year. However, I still find that I can get out there and play well and still produce, so I would like to play another year if it is possible. If it is not, I'd be happy to end my career this year.''
Where he plays is ''up in the air''. Basketball Otago is under enormous financial pressure and intends to cast the Nuggets franchise adrift. What impact that has on the long-term sustainability of the Nuggets is uncertain. What is clear is the Nuggets will have to stand or fall by their own means.
The Wellington Saints shape as one option for Polyblank. He and wife Caroline have just bought a house in the capital. The Manawatu Jets also appeal. Polyblank started his career with the Palmerston North-based franchise in 1997.
But the Saints are dear to his heart. He was part of the side which won the title in 2003 and that has provided him with some of his favourite memories.
''Winning the championship in '03 with a lot of the guys I grew up with and making the Tall Blacks that year was a highlight.''
''We [Tall Blacks] went to play in the US and being able to guard guys like LeBron James and Carmelo [Anthony] was awesome.''
Polyblank tasted championship success overseas as well but that Saints campaign really stood out.
''With eight games left in the season, we were in the middle of the pack and our major sponsor had just pulled out. So we had no money and had to decide whether to pack up and end the season or go on and play for nothing and just try and make a name for ourselves.
''Well, we won our last eight games of the season and won the championship. That is kind of what dreams are all about.''
If Polyblank was eventually rescued from the waiting room yesterday and had corrective surgery, he will be sidelined for four weeks.
That would seemingly rule him out of the playoffs if the Nuggets did manage to scrape in. However, Polyblank suggested he might look at playing in a mask.
However, it is unlikely to come to that.
The Nuggets need to win their next three games and hope other results fall their way.
Depth has been an issue but Polyblank also felt the side had gone away from what had worked so well in the opening month of the tournament.
''We're not an overly talented team. We don't have the big names we had the previous year. So we had to be very disruptive on defence and be up pressing guys the full length of the court - denying guys passing lanes.
''We did that for the first three or four games ... but slowly we went away from that and started to play more of a half-court style offence and stopped pushing it. We became lazy on defence and the effort wasn't there.''
NBL: Otago Nuggets v Canty Rams
Where: Edgar Centre.
When: Tomorrow, 3pm.
Nuggets: Mark Dickel, Micah Lepaio, Brandon Bowdry, Sam King, Warren Carter, Olly Smith, Tony Tolovae, Damon Cleverley, Tom Ingham, Joseph Cook-Green, Richard Rodger, Fergus Bevin-McCrimmon.
Rams: Richie Edwards, Mathew Rogers, Marcel Jones, Jeremy Kench, Ethan Rusbatch, Inga Solufuti, Martin Davison, Josh Paurini, Brent Fisher, Jason Thompson.
