Phoenix Super LPG head coach Topex Robinson stood firm on his decision to call a timeout in the dying seconds of their PBA Governors’ Cup meeting with Alaska on Wednesday — even if it did not sit well with his counterpart.
The young mentor explained that he felt the need to do so even if they were up five with 3.5 seconds left so that his wards could safely inbound the ball.
The Fuel Masters went on to bag the 104-99 win. But Aces head coach Jeff Cariaso was clearly frustrated that he no longer took part in the customary postgame handshake, and headed straight into the dugout.
“It’s part of the game.
“I made a decision to call a timeout because that’s in the backcourt,” he said moments after the match at SMART Araneta Coliseum. “And we’re still up by five. We wanna make sure that we don’t commit a turnover.
“A lot of things have happened here in the PBA, wherein you try to relax and thought that you got the game in control. I have one more time out, I’m gonna use it,” added the cager turned bench tactician.
Robinson added that he did so since he knows very well the capabilities of his former team Aces, which have proven in their last few games that they can climb out of big deficits and emerge triumphantly.
Well, that’s exactly what they showed versus Phoenix. They wiped out a 14-point deficit in the fourth and even took the lead, 93-92, until Jason Perkins and new guy Du’Vaughn Maxwell conspired to lift the Fuel Masters.
“I respect that team,” said Robinson, who worked with Cariaso during their time together as part of the Uytengsu franchise’s coaching staff before he departed for Phoenix — together with Louie Alas — back in 2017.
“I know their capabilities, and I just don’t wanna be a victim to another bad decision. I’ll be responsible for that. It’s something that I have to make as a coach, and I’ll be responsible for that call.”
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