PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The coaching staff of Gilas Pilipinas took exception to the move made by Cambodia's coach to call a late timeout with the result of the game already decided on Thursday night.
Tension rose when Cambodia coach Harry Savaya called a timeout with 20.7 seconds left in their group-stage match in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games men's basketball tournament which Gilas lost, 79-68, to a host team replete with naturalized players.
READ: Gilas suffers heavy defeat at hands of Cambodia
Gilas coach Chot Reyes and even assistant coach Tim Cone were seen very upset by the gesture made by Cambodia's coach.
“I just want to very polite. You all saw what happened. That’s just an unwritten rule. It’s not even coaching ethics. That’s just ethics,” Reyes said of his counterpart.
Savaya was even seen doing the ‘night, night’ gesture at least three times during the late stages of the game before that timeout.
“If the other coach wants to make a fool of of himself, that’s on him. That’s not our problem. You saw what happened. I don’t need to comment on that on his actions. His actions will speak a lot more than anything I can say.
"His actions will say a lot more about him and his character more than I can ever say in words,” said Reyes.
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