The referees simply didn’t want to dictate the game’s outcome.
That was the reasoning offered by the PBA as the umpires were questioned for not reprimanding Chito Victolero for his outburst late in Game 3 of the Rain or Shine-Magnolia series in the Governors’ Cup quarterfinals on Sunday night.
“We don’t want to decide the game with that technical foul,” league deputy commissioner Eric Castro told reporters on Monday.
“The score was tied at the time. So if that happens to Coach Yeng [Guiao], to Coach Chot [Reyes], to whoever coaches, probably we’ll do the same.”
Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao was the first to call out the refs for not slapping a technical on Victolero for losing his cool with 10.4 seconds left in overtime, as the latter argued about the goaltending versus Jhonard Clarito.
Victolero was visibly irked that he entered the playing court and raised his voice to the game officials. A review then took place during a dead ball situation, which happened after Jerrick Ahanmisi’s duty foul on Gian Mamuyac.
Upon further checking, Clarito was found to have committed the violation at the 15.3-second mark, therefore taking back his block on Zavier Lucero.
The league later suspended referee Rey Yante for missing that crucial call.
Guiao has no problem with that call as it followed the procedure by the book, but clearly didn’t like that his counterpart wasn’t T’d up.
“Ang hindi natupad na rules, ‘yung pwede ka pala magwala nang magwala, na hindi ka tine-technical,” the outspoken mentor said. “Kitang-kita ng lahat. Lahat nang nanonood ng basketball, yung ginagawa ni Coach Chito.
“Of course, kaibigan naman natin si Coach Chito at ganun din ako kung minsan. Pero kung ako ang gumawa nun, sigurado akong technical,” he added.
Castro countered, however, saying that assessing a technical foul is given on a case-to-case basis, and depending on the gravity of the situation.
“So to all coaches who’ve been telling the media that ‘pag si ganito, si ganyan, come on. Alam niyong situational ‘yan nangyayari, case to case. You’re given a technical, sometimes you don’t,” said the former college coach.
“So don’t tell me because it’s Tim Cone, because it’s Chot Reyes, because you’re ganito, ganyan. The referees have this feel for the game,” he added.
“For everybody who understood the game, nangyayari ‘yung ganitong sitwasyon.”
