Jericho Cruz and Paul Varilla quickly moved on from their altercation during the San Miguel-TNT game in Friday night’s PBA On Tour action.
The former NLEX teammates found themselves in the middle of a commotion at the 3:58-mark of the third quarter, as replays showed a heated encounter while fighting for a loose ball, resulting in Cruz’s knee inadvertently hitting Varilla’s head.
After a thorough review by game officials, Cruz was ejected from the match and assessed with a flagrant foul penalty 2 (F2).
The 32-year-old headed to the dugout alone and missed witnessing his team’s 111-74 victory, which ended their five-game losing streak.
When asked about the incident, Cruz stated that it was simply part of the game and that he and his teammates were determined to break their slump.
“Nag-agawan lang ng bola. Ganoon talaga eh, gusto naming manalo,” he told reporters moments after the game at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
He matter-of-factly added that both he and Varilla didn’t realize they were competing against each other until the situation was diffused.
“Nagulat nga lang ako. Kahit siya nagsabi, ‘Nako, ikaw pala ‘yon.’ Di ko rin alam na siya ‘yon eh,” said Cruz.
Cruz and Varilla quickly addressed the situation after the altercation, as they were seen talking and giving each other a dap.
“Dala lang siguro ng game. Pero at the end of the day, we’re brothers, nag-uusap pa rin kami,” Cruz concluded.
