Coaches Yeng Guiao of Rain or Shine and Jong Uichico of Talk ‘N Text agreed on two things after Game 4 of their Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Wednesday night.
First, the Tropang Texters got a huge break when Wayne Chism was sidelined by early foul trouble. And second, unless the PBA gets a grip on the officiating, the title playoffs will surely get out of hand.
“This is different,” Uichico said when asked if he has ever coached in a title series as physical as this one. “It’s borderline of almost having a brawl every single moment. They (league officials) see it. I don’t have to talk about what’s happening.
“This is not physical anymore, it’s rough basketball.”
What the media failed to elicit from the taciturn Uichico were given them in full by the outspoken Guiao.
“Is this the series they (PBA) are trying to sell (to the fans)?” Guiao asked.
“There were flare-ups during the game. The refs need to control the games. The beauty of this series is being lost (because of the physicality).”
Guiao did not mince words blaming Ivan Johnson for all the rough plays, saying the Texters’ import is being allowed to get away with so many second motions.
“He rams everyone standing in the way,” Guiao said in Filipino. “If the refs called a charge on him on Paul Lee the first time he drove against Lee (in Game 3), Paul wouldn’t have lost a tooth.
“But the refs did not call anything.”