Right after Game Three of the best-of-seven series between the TNT Katropa and the San Miguel Beermen had ended, both Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross aired their grievance about the calls made during that game.
“I can’t really comment on the calls that were made,” said Lassiter.
“He’s our big man. He should be able to get calls at the end, but it just didn’t happen. He wasn’t able to get any calls.”
“I feel like the three-time MVP should get a little more respect. I don’t think he’s getting the respect that he deserves. They’re calling a lot of touch fouls on him,” lamented Ross.
“On the other side, they’re banging and grabbing and holding on him and he’s not getting any calls so I would think that a three-time MVP would have a little more respect.”
Their grievance stemmed from June Mar Fajardo being penalized for five personal fouls not befitting of a three-time MVP.
And after TNT’s 97-86 Game Four loss that knotted the series at two wins each Tuesday evening, first-year Katropa head coach Nash Racela did not mince his words regarding the matter.
“Actually, I was surprised that there was no lady referee today,” Racela quipped about referee Edith Podicarpio not being assigned to this game. “So I really thought that the lady referee made the right calls the last game and then suddenly there was no lady referee today.”
“They got what they wanted. They were demanding some treatment from the referees the last game,” the 43-year-old mentor furthered.
“If they heard what [Chris] Ross and Marcio [Lassiter] said, they go it today. That kind of entitlement because they are the champions, they got it today.”
And when things were getting heated during the game, Racela was called for a technical foul with 6:34 remaining after Roger Pogoy was “preemptively” called for a foul on RR Garcia as he was attempting a three-pointer. It halted any momentum they had gained.
What irked the young mentor though was that in the spirit of fair play, what both Lassiter and Ross should have demanded was for the referees to make the right call — not to give leeway to Fajardo.
“We expected that already before the game but what I didn’t expect was what they are saying that is like entitlement,” Racela added.
“Just because they are the defending champion and they have the MVP, all of a sudden they are expecting special treatment when they enter the court. Ako, I don’t buy that as a coach. If you demand something, demand that the right calls be made by the referees.”
But Racela made it clear that the officiating was just a small factor that led to their loss, adding that Jayson Castro’s slow start and San Miguel’s sudden-hot shooting played big parts as well.
“But it’s not really about officiating. It’s just one factor,” he stressed.
“And ako as a coach, we’re not asking for special treatments. We’re only asking for them to make the right calls that won’t favor anybody.”
