Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
As if the playoff game between GlobalPort and Magnolia wasn’t intense enough, tempers flared on the Batang Pier bench with head coach Pido Jarencio and star guard Terrence Romeo engaging in a shouting match late in the third quarter.
Jarencio and Romeo got into a heated commotion during a timeout with exactly three minutes left before players and coaches quickly stepped in to control the situation.
After the game, the two immediately put the incident aside.
“It was just a case of misunderstanding,” Romeo said in Filipino after the Batang Pier dropped an 86-79 decision despite leading by as much as 20 in the first quarter. “Coach and I, we both just want to win. We just had a bit of misunderstanding but off the court, we don’t have any problems. It’s a normal thing, it’s normal for players and coaches.”
“Both of us just want to win. We just had a heated discussion and it’s part of the game, it’s also part of the process of a developing team,” Jarencio said in Filipino. “There’s no issue, no issue within the team. Talagang nag-kasarapan lang.”
Romeo, who just played his second game coming off a knee injury, cleared that he has no ill feeling toward Jarencio.
“I’m don’t have any resentment toward coach. We all know that he’s been coaching for a long time and he knows what he’s doing,” he said.
Romeo also admitted his shortcomings since his return. GlobalPort went 0-2 with him this conference.
“Actually I wasn’t really able to help the team maybe because my rhythm is till off. At the same time, I’m still trying to get used to playing because it’s been a long time since I played 5-on-5,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back to my game shape next conference.”
The 25-year-old Romeo finished with only 14 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field as GlobalPort bowed out in the quarterfinals.