INQUIRER Sports

?IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION under the circumstances.? This was the explanation Talk ?N Text team owner and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan offered Monday night for the Game 4 walkout by the Tropang Texters last week that marred their quarterfinal series with the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

The walkout allowed the Gin Kings to win by forfeiture and tie the best-of-five series in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at 2-all. Ginebra eventually clinched a semifinal slot with a hard-fought win Sunday.

Pangilinan did not eleborate on the exact reason for the walkout but he congratulated the Gin Kings for a well-deserved march to the semifinals against Alaska.

?Ginebra played very well, they deserved to win,? Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan could not say whether a major shakeup is in the offing after the Texters failed in their bid to become the first back-to-back all-Filipino champion in 26 years.

The Texters, who complained of poor officiating during the series, are facing a hefty fine for the walkout, which stemmed from the Flagrant Foul 2 called on Ranidel de Ocampo with one minute left in the first quarter.

According to league rules, Talk ?N Text will be fined at least P500,000 for its failure to return to court after the seven-minute grace period. The league is expected to announce the amount of the fine today.

Talk ?N Text team manager Virgil Villavicencio said the walkout succeeded in sending a message of fair officiating.

?No regrets. The important thing for us was that the message was sent,? Villavicencio said. ?It was a risk we had to take.?

There were concerns that Talk ?N Text would not show up for Game 5.

?It was for the public and the PBA,? Villavicencio said in explaining their decision to play in Game 5.