Romeo, McCarthy shrug off heated exchange in TNT win over Columbian

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

There was no shortage in drama when TNT and Columbian clashed in the PBA Governors’ Cup.

TNT took a hard-earned 118-114 win in overtime in a duel that featured a heated moment between Terrence Romeo and Rashawn McCarthy.

Romeo and McCarthy first went at it in the 1:06 mark of overtime, with TNT up, 115-114, as they got into a verbal tussle when both teams went to their respective benches during a timeout.

Things escalated after the timeout but Romeo said what transpired between him and McCarthy was left on the floor.

“That was just a little trash talk,” said Romeo in Filipino Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Of course it was such a close fight and you really can’t help getting into each others’ faces.”

“Rashawn and I are friends and although we don’t hang out that often nothing is personal between us, whatever happened on the court is best left there.”

Romeo’s antics on McCarthy earned him a technical foul but the latter would miss the technical free throw.

That blown charity would become a thorn in McCarthy’s side as Romeo punished him in the next play.

Romeo drove on McCarthy and scored the game’s final field goal with 57.2 seconds left in the game giving the KaTropa a 117-114 lead.

For good measure, Romeo screamed in the face of McCarthy but no whistles were blown for that episode.

“Rashawn is not a dirty player, I think our emotions just got the better of us,” said Romeo who finished with 22 points and six assists. “I want to win, he wants to win and we rubbed each other the wrong way.”

McCarthy would eventually find Romeo after the final buzzer but the two just shared a laugh together as they both made their way to their respective locker rooms.

“There were no ill feelings between us, we’re not angry at each other.”