The animosity between Chris Ross and Terrence Jones continued to escalate on Friday evening.
Just six minutes into Game Three of the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between the TNT KaTropa and the San Miguel Beermen, Jones headbutted Ross moments after he picked up his second personal foul – also thanks to Ross.
Referees tagged the former NBA cager with a flagrant foul penalty one for his actions, forcing him to sit on the bench for three minutes. Meanwhile, the do-it-all floor general incurred a technical foul for trash-talking.
Ross questions the gravity of the call.
“A headbutt is a headbutt. It was above the head, and it was on purpose, and you only get an F1 for that? I don’t think that’s in the rulebook, but I think he probably should’ve been ejected,” he said after San Miguel’s Game Three loss to TNT.
“Really thought it should’ve been a flagrant two.”
Ross also questioned the technical foul he received, calling it ‘undeserved’ since he said nothing to Jones. But based on multiple replays, he appeared to continue jawing as he looked away from the TNT import.
“I got a tech for no reason. I didn’t turn or talk to him or anything – I was looking straight. And they gave me a tech for that. They said they thought I said something. You can’t give a tech for thinking something,” Ross added.
“That was their explanation to me. They gave me a tech because they thought I said something. I think that’s BS.”
This incident only added to their rivalry this series. Ross and Jones have gone at it since the best-of-seven affair started, after Ross accused the American of intentionally hitting his opponents right in the face.
And in Game Two two nights ago, an apparent hit on Ross’ lip led to a premature exit for Jones. His ejection proved to be the KaTropa’s downfall as they lost, allowing the Beermen to tie the series at 1-1.
But of all the incidents between them, the headbutt surprised Ross the most, since it was the first time to happen to him in a game. He is also pissed off with Jones, calling the 6-foot-9 forward “mentally a baby”.
“He’s mentally a baby. Mentally, he’s a baby. So I got two busted lips and a little lump from a dude that’s mentally two years old.”
