MERALCO played down the verbal tussle involving active consultant Nenad Vucinic and Rain or Shine veteran Beau Belga and coach Yeng Guiao in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game, saying it's only a discussion among people who don’t want to lose.
Meralco mentor Luigi Trillo said Vucinic already explained his side on his sideline altercation, first with Belga and later with Guiao, that took place at the 8:10 mark of the fourth period and the Bolts up, 96-92, on Sunday.
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“Kiskisan lang,” said Trillo of the incident. “I think Beau spoke to him (Vucinic) and he said, 'I’m not talking to you,'” Trillo related about how the confrontation began.
However, Guiao declined to shake Vucinic's hand after the game.
Prior to the exchange, Belga blocked the shot of a driving Norbert Torres, but his ROS teammate Andre Caracut was called for a foul.
READ Meralco outlasts Rain or Shine in battle of import-less teams
Upon retrieving the ball, the 38-year-old Belga threw the leather hard on the rolling ad board, drawing a howl of reaction from both the fans at the stands of the Ynares Center in Antipolo and some Meralco players.
That’s when the Rain or Shine big man turned to say something to the Serbian consultant.
As cooler heads tried to separate the two, Guiao entered the picture from the opposite sideline.
“Akala ni coach Yeng from hearing it, he said (to Nenad) don’t talk to my player,” said Trillo.
The Meralco coach said it was Belga who first approached Vucinic.
“Si Beau ang nauna run. I think coach Nenad just wanted to tell him na hindi siya [ang kausapin] and umalis na siya,” said Trillo.
For someone who has worked with Vucinic for some time now, Trillo said it's not in the character of the Serbian consultant to confront opposing players.
"Mabait naman si coach Nenad, e. He’s not the type of person to do that, who would talk to players. It's not in him," added the Meralco coach.
All three were later assessed with technical fouls and Meralco proceeded to hack out a second straight win, 121-111, for a share of the top spot.
Trillo later added that sometimes incident such as this one is good for the PBA.
"Minsan you want guys like these na ayaw magpatalo. Ayaw magpatalo ng Rain or Shine, ayaw magpatalo ng Meralco. So its good for the league," he said.
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