‘Ping,’ Nabong face sanctions

Fines of up to P70,000 and suspensions are expected to be meted out today by the PBA on San Mig Coffee star Marc Pingris and Globalport rookie Kelly Nabong, the principal figures in an ugly brawl in the two squads’ Governors Cup game Wednesday night.

Both players appeared before league commissioner Chito Salud yesterday. Their impending suspensions will take effect in their respective squads’ immediate next game.

If ever, this will be the heftiest penalty that Pingris will receive in his career. Aside from drawing several technical fouls in the past, the 6-foot-5 workhorse has had a clean league record as far as fighting is concerned.

The only time that Pingris was asked to pay a fine for misconduct was several years ago when he was still playing for San Miguel Beer after he and Danny Ildefonso accosted a fan at courtside. Pingris drew a P10,000 fine for that.

Salud spoke on national television immediately after the San Mig Coffee-Globalport game, describing the brawl as deplorable and saying that “fighting has no place in this league.”

A second Globalport rookie, Marvin Hayes, and San Mig veteran Joe Devance were also summoned yesterday with Devance likely to be slapped a huge fine for igniting the brawl.

The fight started when Hayes and San Mig import Marqus Blakely took each other down for a double foul.

Both were on their feet when Devance came out of nowhere and shoved Hayes with a forearm to the chest, sending the Globalport guard down for the second time.

After seeing Hayes hit the deck again, Nabong came charging at Devance and Blakely only to be met by a right straight to the face by Pingris, who came from Nabong’s blind side.

The most recent on-court hooliganism that drew hefty sanctions involved Carlo Sharma and Jondan Salvador a few years ago. Sharma was slapped a P25,000 fine and Salvador P20,000.