Rain or Shine Elasto Painters head coach Caloy Garcia was not on the bench to finish Game Four of their 2019 PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series with Magnolia Hotshots on Monday night, no thanks to his ejection late in the third quarter.
Garcia got booted out of the match with 1:45 left in the third canto after incurring his second technical foul of the night, for complaining about the offensive foul called on center Beau Belga, who was trying to post up Paul Lee.
“They’re allowed to grab us, they’re allowed to push us. Sabi ko nga, even when we set screens, they’re pushing us, kami pa ang tatawagan ng offensive,” lamented the outspoken bench tactician.
“Sana maging patas lang.”
Garcia confessed that he actually was calling for the referees to throw him out due to his frustration over the calls. He didn’t hold back, saying that his Elasto Painters aren’t getting calls that they deserve.
“Ayaw ko nga magalit eh.
“Sabi ko i-throw out na lang nila ako kasi I felt that we’re not getting anything,” Garcia said. “I told the referee, i-throw out niyo na lang ako. Hindi ko kailangan mag-mura para mag-throw out – ako na humihingi na i-throw out ako,” he declared.
“Eh hindi ako pinapansin ng referee, lumalayo sa akin. So I went to the next referee, may hawak ng bola, tinapik ko yung bola. Sabi ko, i-throw out niyo na lang ako kasi masyadong masakit sa mata ang tawagan,” he lamented.
But Garcia accepts the fact that such calls happen in basketball.
“But, you know, it’s part of basketball.
“Sometimes you get the call, sometimes you don’t. Minsan judgment call ang labas,” he said. “I think we just have to watch video of what’s happening and how to adjust probably sa calls.”
The night was particularly tough for Rain or Shine since they lost, 91-94. But Garcia likes the fight RoS put up; the Elasto Painters came back from a 21-point deficit and knocked within one, 92-91, with four seconds left to play.
And with their sights set on Game Five, Garcia vows that they will be more physical to give themselves a better chance of regaining the series lead, and to move just a win away from making it to the Finals for the first time since 2016.
“Well, I told them after the game, that it was a test of character at the end of the game. We climbed back from a twenty-one-point lead. I felt that we did a better job noong fourth quarter kasi naging physical nga kami,” he said.
“We just have to match up with the physicality and we’ll see what happens.”
