Yeng Guiao simply came to the defense of Jaylen Johnson as he was in the center of a heated spat late in Rain or Shine’s eventual victory over Magnolia on Saturday night in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup.
The Elasto Painters head coach said that he only stood up for his import after getting into a verbal exchange with Hotshots team consultant Erick Arejola at center court during a dead-ball situation with only 1:21 remaining in the game.
“I was trying to protect my players because he was trying to intimidate my player. I had to do something,” he said shortly after their 91-82 victory at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium to notch their eighth win in the midseason conference.
It happened moments after Magnolia sued for time to talk things over as the spread grew to 87-80 following Johnson’s poster jam on opposing forward Zavier Lucero, in which he pulled off his signature shimmy upon landing.
That apparently drew the ire of Arejola, who then confronted the American reinforcement. Guiao saw as much and stepped in, leading to the heated moment that prompted both teams to come in and diffuse the situation.
“That was, I think, after a timeout. Galing kami sa timeout. Paglingon ko sa court, Erick was in the face of my import,” recalled the straightforward mentor.
“And that’s all the way from their bench. So iniisip ko, paano siya nakarating sa ganoon na hindi man lang siya pinigilan ng referees?”
Both Guiao and Arejola would be called for technical fouls each for verbal altercation. But the drama didn’t stop there as the former refused to shake the hand of the long-time exec, only acknowledging counterpart LA Tenorio.
“I had some words, but I don’t think I need to repeat the words,” the champion mentor said in jest when asked about what he told Arejola.
“But I don’t know if he had some words for me; hindi naman kami nagkakarinigan siguro.”
Guiao, however, downplayed the whole fracas, but made it clear at the same time that he is and will always be after the welfare of his own players.
“Magkakaibigan naman kami. Pero pagdating sa laro, kanya-kanyang protect tayo doon sa mga interes natin,” he said. “Siguro ganun din gagawin niya ‘pag ginawa ko ‘yon sa player niya. But wala naman sa akin ‘yun.
“Ano naman ‘yan … pare-pareho naman kaming kasama sa PBA family. That can be remedied.”
Arejola, who was involved in an ugly brawl during last year’s NBTC qualifiers, politely declined to comment about the incident.
