All hands on deck

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Fines were slapped and suspensions didn’t come, and Alaska will continue to square off with a full force Magnolia side when they break a 2-2 tie in their PBA Governors’ Cup title series on Friday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Magnolia guard Mark Barroca escaped with a P50,000 fine for hitting Alaska’s Chris Banchero in the groin late in Game 4, while Alaska coach Alex Compton was slapped a P20,000 penalty for postgame statements the league called “detrimental.”

And with no one axed for even a game, both squads will have all hands on deck for the crucial tiff slated at 7 p.m.

Compton had said after Wednesday’s physical game that he called the attention of the league so “that we can get back to playing basketball,” with the amiable Alaska coach reportedly to appeal the fine slapped by commissioner Willie Marcial.

Marcial, for his part, explained that no suspensions were handed out because the officials of that game failed to call an infraction on Barroca after he hit Banchero in the groin with 2:31 left in Game 4.

“There’s no precedent suspending a player in a noncall situation,” Marcial told reporters in Filipino during the league’s Draft Combine on Thursday. “Had there been a precedent, I would have suspended Barroca.”

Marcial said that the sanction on Barroca was the same as the Don Trollano incident. Trollano punched Arwind Santos and also wasn’t called for a foul, the infraction being spotted only on replays of the game tape.

The commissioner, however, warned Magnolia guard that an act similar to what he did in Game 4 will merit an automatic suspension “whether it be Game 5 or Game 6.”

A personality who got canned was referee Rolando Dacanay, who was supposed to be in position to spot Barroca but instead followed the movement of the ball, hence the missed call.

Teams have won games in streaks in this series, with the Hotshots ruling the first two and the Aces going into Friday night trying to win a third straight.

Compton’s defense is wreaking havoc on the Hotshots, whom the Aces have limited below 80 points in the last two contests.

“We are playing terrific defense,” Compton said.