Balkman, Devance downplay halftime shoving match in Game 4

As the championship series between San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra reaches the crucial fifth game, so do the emotions between the two teams.

With the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title series locked at 2-2, things got heated again when Joe Devance and Renaldo Balkman getting into a while they were headed to their respective lockers at halftime.

The two traded shoves and shouts before players from both teams and venue security immediately intervened.

READ: PBA Finals: Balkman, Devance nearly come to blows at halftime

But like other run-ins in this series so far, both players simply shrugged off what happened and credited it to the championship atmosphere.

“It’s nothing, we don’t have a fight,” said Balkman. “You know, what happened has happened, and it wasn’t that bad. It may have seemed like it looked all bad but we’re just walking to the dugout.”

During the commotion, even San Miguel Corporation Sports Director Alfracis Chua tried to get in between his players.

Devance, who also had a verbal spat with Chris Ross in Game 2, shared Balkman’s sentiments saying that what happened was just a minor event in the grand scheme of things.

READ: Devance says verbal spat with Ross just part of the game 

“It was no big deal, there was just a little bit of pushing, there were no punches thrown or anything like that,” said Devance as his Gin Kings tied the series at 2-2 with a dominant 130-100 win. “I mean emotions are going to be high, so that’s all it was and it wasn’t anything big.”

Things looked to be cool between the two during the halftime break when Balkman entered the court smiling and even got daps from Gin Kings Scottie Thompson and Sol Mercado.

READ: PBA Finals: Brownlee, Ginebra tie series with 30-point rout of San Miguel

“He’s a great player, he went to the NBA, he’s just very passionate and we’ve been cool the whole time,” said Devance of Balkman. “I’m sure there’s not going to be any hard feelings or anything like that. It’s all good.”