Jorge Gallent shrugged off the exchange he had with Calvin Abueva and downplayed the taunt he received during Game 2 of the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Sunday.
San Miguel did take the dominant 103-85 win to go up 2-0 against Magnolia in the best-of-7 affair but the game was not without some heated moments, including one that had them at the center that led to double technical fouls.
It happened during a deadball situation at the 9:52-mark of the fourth quarter, while the ‘Beast’ was on his way back to the Hotshots bench.
As the referees’ decision was being announced, the broadcast camera panned to Abueva, who then pulled off a taunt that seemed to mock the physical disability of the veteran bench tactician.
(C) PBA Images
Gallent lost his right eye in a motorcycle accident, which ended his collegiate career with the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
Still, the 55-year-old managed to make light of the situation when asked about the matter during the postgame presser at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Ilibre ko raw ng steak,” said Gallent, who’s in his first full season at the helm of SMB. “And then, he said he wanted caldereta. I’m gonna buy that tomorrow.”
After all, San Miguel blew out their rivals, and Abueva himself had a rough night. He only had three points in the 17 minutes he played off the bench in the loss, indeed a result he doesn’t want on the day of his 36th birthday.
He even got involved in a shouting match with Mo Tautua’a’s wife while on his way out of the venue in an incident that also witnessed him challenge the Beermen forward to a fistfight, although no such thing occurred.
