ANTIPOLO – PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial believes games officials should have automatically called a technical foul on Chris Ross just before the incident between the veteran San Miguel guard and Ginebra deputy coach Olsen Racela took place.
“Para sa akin, technical na dapat yun,” said Marcial in reaction to the verbal altercation Racela and Ross had during halftime of Game 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The league chief said he already reminded the referees about imposing a technical foul on complaining players and coaches prior to the contest, which San Miguel won, 108-102, to forge a do-or-die game for the remaining semifinals berth of the season-ending Governors’ Cup.
‘Sinabihan ko na sila (referees) tungkol dun bago pa yung game,” said Marcial.
READ: Austria, JMF hail veteran Ross for another heroic performance
Ross was complaining to the referees for most of the first half, including just before the halftime break, which prompted Racela to shout the words ‘I-technical ninyo na yan,’ twice while on his way out of the court.
The 41-year-old Ross overheard Racela, and confronted the former San Miguel star, asking him, “You’ve got a problem with me? You have a problem with me?”
The skirmish led to a heated exchange of words while teammates and co-players tried to pacify the two.
Marcial said the situation could have been avoided had a technical been called right away by the referees.
The commissioner said he didn’t summon the two, but talked to Ross about his excessive complaining shortly after the game.
Ross came out motivated following the incident scoring 13 of his 20 points in the third period when the Beermen scored 46 points against the Kings to overhaul a 17-point deficit and take control of the game.
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