BARANGAY Ginebra team governor Alfrancis Chua chided Meralco coach Luigi Trillo on Sunday after the Gin Kings clinched their PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals with a Game 3 win over the Bolts.
Chua on Sunday took exception to Trillo's statements in an Inquirer report supposedly saying that the Bolts ‘wanted’ to face Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals.
Trillo was quoted in an interview with reporters at the end of the eliminations saying that if they are going to win the championship, there is a chance that they would have to go Ginebra whether early or late in the playoffs.
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“We wanted this,” Trillo was quoted as saying by the Inquirer prior to the playoffs. “I know we’re 0-4 [to Ginebra] right now, including the last one. But we wanted this. We’re going to go through Ginebra, anyway, whether it’s now or later.”
The statement didn’t sit well with Chua.
“Sabi ni Luigi, kami ang pinili. Na kaya nila kami. ‘Yun ang nakalagay. I guess nagkamali sila ng pinili,” said Chua on Sunday shortly after Ginebra’s hard-earned 94-87 win over Meralco in deciding Game Three at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
“Dahil ang coach naman, si Nenad. Bakit si Nenad, iba ang pinili? Kami, pinili niya kami. So nagkamali siya ng pinili,” said Chua.
“Tinalo namin sila. Ulit,” the PBA vice chairman added.
Trillo declined comment on Chua’s statements.
Prior to the quarterfinals, Trillo said he has high regard for Ginebra and felt that it is going to be an uphill climb to beat the Gin Kings if they cross paths in the playoffs.
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"They’ve added a ton of dominant players that you built the team around. You’ve got Troy Rosario, [Jamie] Malonzo, the second pick of the draft is back. You’ve got [RJ] Abarrientos. That’s an All-Star na national team unit. And then, you have [Justin] Brownlee,” said Trillo.
Chua’s statement comes on the heels of an intense Game Three that saw the Bolts' active consultant Nenad Vucinic getting tossed midway through the fourth quarter for confronting a referee.
Ginebra now meets NorthPort in a best-of-seven semifinal.
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