Outspoken coach Yeng Guiao felt the calls in the game swung the result of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinal opener between Rain or Shine and Converge.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao did not mince words when he pointed out the one thing that spelled doom for the Elasto Painters in the Game 1 loss to Converge in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
It was the game officials who “decided the game,” declared the outspoken mentor.
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Guiao was referring to import Deon Thompson fouling out with eight minutes and 34 seconds remaining in the third period, as the two teams engaged in a nip and tuck battle.
Thompson was called for three successive fouls in that stretch, including the landing spot foul on Converge import Cheick Diallo, which Guiao described as “ridiculous.”
“Actually the referees decided the results of the game. Halos kaka-umpisa lang ng third quarter, tinawagan siya ng tatlong sunod-sunod na tawag. From three fouls to six fouls in less than three minutes. Ngayon lang ako nakakita sa buong buhay ko sa PBA na ganun kaninipis itatawag nang sunod-sunod,” said Guiao after the match on Wednesday, February 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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He urged the PBA to look into it.
“I’m not sure. I think the PBA should investigate the referees. SIla nag decide ng laro e. Dikit ang laro nun eh. So magre-remedyo ka na lang after that,” he said.
“Maganda sana laban kaya lang 'yun nga, sobrang kaninipis ng mga tawag. Pinapanood lang namin ngayon sa video… Katakataka at 'di makatarungan.”
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Does this mean Rain or Shine is filing a formal complaint?
“Pag-uusapan pa namin kung kailangan ng formal complaint dun. Pero the mere fact na nakita ng lahat kung ano yung nangyari. I don’t think those are playoff calls,” he said.
“Sa playoffs tayo, ('yung) import bibigyan mo ng tatalong sunod-sunod na fouls?”
Thompson himself felt he could have made a huge difference had he stayed on the floor until the final buzzer.
“It’s my responsibility to play without fouling. I feel like when I fouled out that changed the whole game. I feel like if I stayed in the game i don’t think the result is the same,” Thompson said.
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But Thompson is moving on from this, shifting his focus on the things the Elasto Painters must do come out victorious in Game 2 on Friday, February 7 and force a rubber match.
“It’s a a best-of-three series and we have another opportunity (to win) on Friday,” he said.