ANTIPOLO – Meralco active consultant Nenad Vucinic was ejected in the final six minutes of the do-or-die Game 3 of its PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals series against Barangay Ginebra after incurring a second technical foul.
The 59-year-old Serbian was whistled for his second T after furiously confronting a game official over an offensive foul called on Akil Mitchell Bong Quinto during a 5-on-4 play with 5:41 remaining in the hotly contested match at the Ynares Center.
READ Ginebra outlasts Meralco in Game 3, reaches semis vs NorthPort
Nenad left the game with the Bolts trailing, 72-77.
He incurred his first technical at the 7:28 mark of the fourth and the Kings ahead, 74-70.
Ginebra went on to win the game, 94-87, to wrap up the best-of-three series, 2-1, and arrange a best-of-seven semifinal against top seed NorthPort.
Ironically, Meralco challenged the call and was deemed successful, although the technical foul on Nenad stayed.
RJ Abarrientos sank the technical free throw to make it a five-point game, but the possession returned to Meralco.
Coach Luigi Trillo later said Nenad was obviously pissed off.
"I know he got frustrated with the call," added Trillo. "You know it's a situation where you don't want to complain. But sometimes when those things happen, you really have to call their attention."
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