The decision came after the league office summoned both players on Saturday.
Meralco Bolts forward Allein Maliksi will serve a one-game suspension following the choking incident involving him and Converge FiberXers center Barkley Eboña.
Maliksi, a two-time All-Star, was also fined P75,000. The swingman will serve his suspension in Meralco’s game tomorrow, Sunday, against the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters.
Eboña, meanwhile, is also facing a fine amounting to P5,000. The Converge big man also received a warning from the league office that a repeat incident will merit a stiffer penalty.
Both Maliksi and Eboña met with PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro on Saturday after they figured in a scuffle on Friday’s Meralco vs Converge game. The heated incident saw Maliksi placing his hands on the neck of Eboña after the latter's hard foul in the dying seconds of overtime.
Maliksi has since apologized to Eboña and Converge. The Bolts, meanwhile, said in a statement that Maliksi’s reaction does not reflect the culture they have built in the organization.
Meralco also clarified that Maliksi did not intend to hurt, saying that the 35-year-old forward only “placed his hand near the neck” of Eboña.
“No pressure was applied and Allein held himself back from further action until they were separated,” the statement read.
Converge, meanwhile, also released a statement ahead of the PBA's decision, denouncing Maliksi's deed and calling it an "assault" to their player. They also said that Eboña suffered "soft tissue injury secondary to mauling" after the incident.
The team also emphasized in its statement that the FiberXers play clean.
"We also take exception to statements that the Converge team had an intention to harm other players in the court."
(Editor's note: This article has been updated as of March 4, 5:54 p.m. to include Converge's official statement)