ANTIPOLO – TNT coach Chot Reyes pointed to his technical foul in the second quarter as the turning point in their win against Rain or Shine on Wednesday night.
Reyes was slapped with a technical foul for entering the court to complain to the referees early in the second quarter and TNT training, 31-20. Rain or Shine by then was already up by 14, 31-17, the biggest lead of either team in the game.
READ Pogoy, Erram, Oftana torment Rain or Shine in late TNT breakaway
Following that Reyes’ technical foul, Rain or Shine padded the lead on a jumper by Anton Asistio but TNT’s shots began to fall afterwards.
The Tropang 5G went on to win, 111-103, and Reyes looked on that incident as clearly the turning point.
“When I got my technical foul. I think that’s where we made a run,” said Reyes. “Rain or Shine was playing really well. They were not missing any shots and we couldn’t make a basket in the first quarter."
But that doesn't mean that Reyes is willing to let the technical slide.
When asked during the postgame press conference why he was penalized, Reyes initially declined to go into detail, saying ‘baka ma-fine ako.’
But without much prodding, the former Gilas Pilipinas coach expressed his confusion as to why he was called for the ‘T’ while others, such as Ginebra coach Tim Cone, wasn’t punished for the same infraction in the past.
“Sinasabi ko, there are games when the other coaches, Tim Cone, they cross, nandoon na sila sa technical committee, bakit hindi nila ma-technical?” said Reyes, referring to a few times where Cone, his good friend, didn't get a 'T' for complaining.
Reyes insisted he never threw any curse words at the referees.
“I think what he got was a warning. I told the referees, 'Akala ko puwede rin sa akin ‘yun? Hindi ako nagmura. It was a deadball. And I didn’t go half as far as the other coaches did. I was just there, medyo nasa halfcourt ako. But I expected at least a warning.”
'Double standard'
“What I was lamenting is the double standard. If they say bawal magreklamo at bawal pumasok, bawal pumasok maski sino ka. Basta pumasok ka, technical foul ka. I’ll accept that. But if the others can do it, and then sa akin, hindi puwede?
"That’s where I draw the line and ‘yun ang nirereklamo ko. Iba iba ‘yung kanilang explanation sa akin. But that’s exactly my point in that incident,” said Reyes.
This night, at least, will be one of the few times that Reyes will take T - and the W.
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