PHILIPPINE Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Chito Salud firmly stood by the league’s officiating policy that `only clear and obvious contact will be called as permitted by the rule on incidental contact.’
“No ticky tacky fouls. Yes, physicality will be allowed, but within certain parameters only. Tough, honest defense is okay. Non basketball moves, no,” Salud said in a statement prior to Game 4 of the Philippine Cup semifinals between San Mig Coffee and Rain or Shine Thursday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Dirty and rough play will not be condoned and will be sanctioned accordingly,” added the lawyer-commissioner.
Salud made the stand in response to the highly-physical plays that typified Game 3 of the other semifinals pairing between Alaska and defending champion Talk `N Text.
Several players were called for technical and flagrant fouls during the course of the game, the most severe of which was the play that led to the ejection of Alaska’s Cyrus Baguio
The Alaska guard hacked a driving Jayson Castro with a forearm to the face halfway through the fourth quarter of the match.
Baguio was later fined P30K by Salud, but was not meted an automatic suspension.
Also penalized were Aces rookie Calvin Abueva (ejection), Gabby Espinas (flagrant foul penalty one), and Sonny Thoss and Jared Dilinger (technical fouls).
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