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    Jericho Cruz says hit on Varilla not deliberate: ‘Tropa ko yun’

    Cruz says no intention to hurt former NLEX teammate
    Jul 7, 2023
    jericho cruz flagrant foul on paul varilla
    PHOTO: jerome ascano

    IT was not intentional on the part of Jericho Cruz to hit Paul Varilla with a knee to the face that led to his ejection in the PBA On Tour game between San Miguel and TNT.

    More so, Varilla being a close friend of him.

    “Tropa ko yun,“ said Cruz, unaware Varilla was the one he got entangled with during the mad scramble for the ball at the 3:58 mark of the third period.

    READ: San Miguel snaps out of five-game slump

    As they fought for the loose ball, Cruz, who was on top of a seated Varilla, hit the TNT guard with a knee to the face before cooler heads separated the two players.

    Upon review of the sequence, Cruz was hit with a flagrant foul penalty 2 that led to his outright ejection.

    While awaiting the decision of game officials, Cruz went over to Varilla as the two talked to each other.

    jericho cruz flagrant foul 2 ejection paul varilla smb vs tnt pba

    “Sabi ko sa kanya (Varilla), ‘ikaw pala yun,’” recalled Cruz. “Maski nga siya nagulat na ako pala yung kaagaw niya sa bola.”

    “Pero wala yun. Close kami nun, e,” added the San Miguel guard, who was actually teammates with Varilla when they were still at NLEX.

    “Wala ok na yun. Move on na lang. Move on to the next game.”

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      Cruz already had 20 points, four rebounds, and two assists by the time he was thrown out.

      If it was any consolation, the Beermen won the game by a mile, 111-74, to snap their five-game skid in the preseason.

      “Masarap sa feeling. Kasi araw-araw kaming nagpa-practice. Yung hardwork na binibigay namin sa practice nag pay-off na rin,” said Cruz. “It was a great win for us especially against TNT.”

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      PHOTO: jerome ascano
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