SAN Miguel’s Game 2 win in the PBA 49th Season Philippine Cup finals hasn’t doused Alfrancis Chua’s disappointment at how the Beermen lost the series opener in a controversial manner - and even more, how it was all handled.
READ: Trollano catches fire as San Miguel gets back at TNT in Game Two
Even after tying the series at 1-1, Chua said he still wants answers as to exactly what happened in Game 1.
The San Miguel Corporation sports director said he hasn’t heard another statement from the PBA as to the action it is taking in relation Mo Tautuaa's dunk that was nullified in the final seconds of Game 1 due to basket interference following a review by the technical committee.
“Kailan nangyari ‘yun? Sunday. Ano na ngayon? Wednesday. Meron bang statement coming from the PBA? Wala. Anong nangyari, bakit ganito, bakit ganyan? Wala eh. Deadma lang? Hindi pupwede ‘yun for me,” Chua told SPIN.ph in a lengthy interview shortly after SMB's 98-92 Game 2 win over TNT on Wednesday
“Nagpa-press con, nagpa-interview, kinorek nila ‘yung pagkakamali nila. Pero where is the statement coming from the PBA? Wala eh. Walang sinabi na ganito ang nangyari, sana maintindihan ng mga fans na ganito, ganyan kaya itutuloy ang laro. Eh kung hindi kami maglalaro?”
Yes, Chua admitted San Miguel came close to not playing in Wednesday’s game due to the controvery coming from Game 1 and the chain of events afterwards where the league, Chua claimed, pre-empted their plan to put the result under protest.
READ: PBA defends offensive interference call on Tautuaa dunk
Chua said they strongly considered filing a protest, but it became moot and academic with the press conference that was held after Game 1 by PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro and supervisor of referees Bong Pascual.
“Oo, ngayon,” he said as his curt reply when asked whether the Beermen management considered not playing in Game 2.
What would have happened if San Miguel did it?
Had it pushed through, such move could be constituted as a ‘full walkout’ with a fine of P10 million, based on league rules. In 2014, Rain or Shine staged a ‘partial walkout’ in Game 6 of the Philippine Cup finals against San Mig Coffee in the second quarter and was fined P2 million.
When asked what prompted him to do otherwise, Chua answered that one of the reasons was that he had a conversation with PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, also the team governor of the Tropang 5G.
“Mahal ko lang si chairman Ricky eh. Chairman Ricky talked to me for a long time kaya I said, ok. Kasi nawalan kami ng boses eh. Hindi pupwede ‘yun. Ang daming nakakita na fans. I say 99-percent saying (na it’s not basket interference),” he said.
Chua also said the desire of the players to show up for Game 2 also made him change his mind.
“Ginawa ko dahil sa fans, they are expecting the comeback of San Miguel na lumaban kami. And then I went to practice yesterday, I talked to the players. Lahat sila, gigil maglaro," he said.
"Kaya sabi ko, wag kayo manggigil, it’s part of the game. Ok, tingin niyo nadaya tayo, sabi ko, hindi mangyayari ‘yun kung lumaro kayo nang maganda ng second, third quarter. Hindi siguro umabot nang ganun kalaki ang lamang.”
Following Game 2, Chua still laments the current set-up of the league of having a technical committee that could review and overturn the decisions of referees, noting that there is a tendency that referees lose their confidence in calling games.
“Parang kumuha kayo ng referee na puppet. Are they giving the confidence to the referee? No. 'Pag pumito sila, 'pag mali, 'pag ni-review, 'pag kinorek sila, where’s the confidence of the referee? Wala," he said.
"Sa NBA, wala namang ganun. Kung sino ‘yung lead referee, may mic, they can explain kung bakit. Eh dito, nawalan ng personality ‘yung mga referee. Ngayon, ginawa nila, hindi na nakikialam, pero nagre-review pa rin.”
Chua also rued that San Miguel wasn’t given an opportunity to air their side in the controversy.
“Nag-meeting sila, nagpa-press con. Para niyo kaming pinutulan ng ulo. I’m just being fair here. 'Pag mali, mali. Walang kasalanan ang Talk ‘N Text,” he said.
Chua furthered that this is the first time since he became SMC sports director that he complained about officiating after a game.
“I’ve been a sports director since 2013 up to now. Natatalo ang mga teams ko. Nakita niyo na ba na nag-complain ako? Nakita niyo na ba may nag-complain sa amin na talo, maggaganito. Never kami nag-complain. May narinig ka ba na pangit ang tawag ng referee, nagpadyaryo kami? Never," he said.
“For the first time, nagsalita ako na ang nag-decide sa amin, hindi referee, (kundi) technical committee. Sa court, oo nagrereklamo ako, pero after the game, tapos na, wala kang marinig sa akin. This is the first time.”
Chua reiterated his call that the PBA should do something about the controversial Game 1.
As he put it, “Hindi naman ligang labas ito na nagkaanuhan ng tawag, nagkagulo, sige next game na tayo. Hindi pwede. The PBA itself should have a statement of what really happened. At sino magsasalita? Wala eh. Nag-press con lang. Kanino manggagagaling dapat?
“Hindi ito ligang labas. This is PBA, the best league in the Philippines. Kailangan i-address nang maganda. Masama loob ko? Oo. Hindi dahil sa natalo kami, after nun, lalo sumama loob ko dahil sa process.”
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