SAN Miguel Beer veteran playmaker Chris Ross is still not buying it.
While the controversy that hounded Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup finals pitting the Beermen and the Grand Slam-seeking Tropang 5G has seemingly died down, Ross took to social media to insist the pro league’s technical committee was amiss when it overturned a late-game slam dunk by SMB big man Mo Tautuaa due to offensive interference.
“We don’t want to hear any other explanation on what happened (in Game 1),” Ross said on his X (formerly Twitter) account last Monday. “Anyone that plays ball knows that it was the wrong call but they will keep trying to explain why they are the only ones in the world that thinks otherwise.
“Delusional is the word. One foot in front of the other.”
The second game of the race-to-4 series was being played at press time last night with more drama expected to unfold as the Beermen try to recover from that stinging loss while the Tropang 5G are out to prove their 99-96 victory the last time out was no fluke.
PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro further clarified that per the league’s rule book, the review they made—and the waiving off of the basket—was the right call.
“This is to clarify further what transpired (Sunday night) regarding the goal-tending and basket interference violation,” Castro said last Monday night in a televised interview. “I want to correct myself that we can no longer correct the goal-tending and basket interference once the game clock has expired. Just to give you a background, during the 44th season back in 2019.
“We introduced a rule change that we can review the goal-tending and basket interference at any time during the game with or without a call, because prior to this, we could only review a goal-tending and basket interference during the last two minutes. Again, now not only during the last two minutes, buong game na.”
Castro said it was just unfortunate that none of the three game officials promptly called the infraction. The referees were spared from any suspension, however.
“Referee Mardy Montoya, who was in a center position, was certain it was not a basket interference; Rommel Gruta, who was the trail referee and Jerry Narandan, who was in the lead position, were not sure if there was a basket interference,” he said.
