Mo Tautua’a could only lament San Miguel’s unfortunate endgame after a controversial call ultimately doomed their chances of upending TNT in Game 1 of their PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup on Sunday night.
“They kinda decided that one for us,” he told reporters shortly after emerging from the team’s dugout at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, on the heels of a rather heartbreaking 99-96 defeat to their long-time corporate rivals.
The veteran big man held back at first in commenting about the ending, but could no longer hold it in as he expressed disappointment with how the game officials overturned his supposed go-ahead dunk with 56.1 seconds left.
@justinebacnis #WATCH : The supposed go-ahead dunk of Mo Tautua’a with 56.1 seconds left in Game 1 of the PBA S49 Philippine Cup Finals, which the league’s technical committee overturned and deemed as an offensive basket interference after a thorough review. The one-handed jam was initially counted and put the Beermen up against TNT, 98-97, and moved them closer from turning the game around after trailing by as many as 24 points. SMB lost, 99-96. Agree with the call? @tiebreakertimes @smbeermen #pba #fyp #pbaseason49 #pbagametayodito #pbaangatanglaban #sanmiguel #beer #smb #tnt #tropa #5g #pbafinals #championship #game1 #basketball #philippines #sports #tiktokph #sportsontiktok #foryou #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Justine Bacnis
For starters, Tautua’a got Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser to bite on his shot fake, took it strong to the hoop, then rose for a one-handed jam. The shot actually missed, but got in off a lucky bounce to give the team a 98-97 lead.
It was a promising sequence for a team that battled back all the way down from a 24-point deficit until a dead-ball situation with about six seconds left turned things around, much to their dismay — and their fans at the Big Dome.
After a review by the technical committee, the officials overturned the dunk and called an offensive basket interference, putting the Tropang 5G up again.
“No. Absolutely not,” he said if he agrees on the call.
“That’s the exact opposite of a right call. Let us decide the game. It’s simple. But the game went on.”
Eventually, the Beermen bowed to a 99-96 decision, but that decision did not sit well with the entire team, its coaching staff and officials included.
PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro then faced the media and upheld the call by citing J-5 of the league’s rulebook explaining calls on interferences.
But of course, Tautua’a believes that he committed no violation, and that his shot should’ve been counted — and perhaps led to a win.
“It’s just a missed shot,” he said. “People touch the rim all the time, especially on a dunk. That’s what happens when you try to dunk the ball, you touch the rim. And I mean, by the time it went in, I was already on the floor.
“Everything was done. I feel like that was… That sucks,” continued the 36-year-old bruiser, visibly frustrated.
“That’s a sucky way to lose, I guess.”
#WATCH: “THAT SUCKED”
Mo Tautuaa vents his frustration, saying the interference call should’ve never happened 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times#PBA2025 pic.twitter.com/GCmzI1Q5Ax
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 13, 2025
