Chot Reyes is set to be fined for his endgame actions in TNT’s narrow loss to Magnolia in its PBA Commissioner’s Cup debut Wednesday night.
The Tropang Giga coach went towards the technical committee table shortly after the 94-92 result, questioning the foul called on Calvin Oftana with 4.3 seconds left that sent Paul Lee to the line and led to the marginal free throws.
“Panigurado, fine ‘yun,” Commissioner Willie Marcial told Tiebreaker Times, reiterating that approaching officials after games is prohibited in the league.
Reyes was in total disbelief when Oftana got whistled while trying to help Cam Oliver defend Lee, who was in the act of shooting when the foul was called.
The fiery mentor only sat at the box near the TNT bench until the final buzzer, and then headed straight to the officials’ table across the court after the customary postgame handshake between the two teams.
He then raised the foul against the newest Tropang Giga player before being calmly restrained by deputy commissioner Eric Castro.
Reyes was still fuming even in the dugout that he let out an angry shout. The champion bench tactician did not stay in the locker room any longer, leaving the SMART Araneta Coliseum right after the team’s postgame prayer.
Marcial did not specify the amount of the penalty as it is still being carefully reviewed by his office, but such an offense usually merits a P20,000 fine.
