THE semifinals of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup continue to heat up with the daily games turning physical as the four remaining teams chase berths in the finals.
The stakes are higher, the teams are emotional and the daily games make the PBA semifinals feel as rushed as a shotgun wedding with a pregnant bride.
A scuffle in Game 2 of the Alaska-GlobalPort series almost escalated into a bench-clearing free-for-all while both coaches of Rain Or Shine and San Miguel Beer are complaining about the way the referees officiate their bruising playoff.
In Game 2 GlobalPort’s Anthony Semerad bumped Alaska’s Dondon Hontiveros sending him to the floor. Hontiveros grabbed Semerad and both fell backwards into the hard court.
Jay Washington helped up Semerad. Calvin Abueva helped Hontiveros get up but couldn’t resist the urge and bumped Semerad. Washington didn’t appreciate the contact and shoved Abueva to the floor. Washington got entangled with Hontiveros and shoved him as well.
Players and team officials then rushed into the court. All four players were assessed technical fouls. Technical fouls were also handed out to GlobalPort officials Erick Arejola, Bonnie Tan, Pido Jarencio as well as Alaska officials Louie Alas, Alex Compton, Monch Gavierres, Jeffrey Cariaso and Dickie Bachmann for entering the court.
It should have been a non-incident but players and officials of both teams were so emotional that for a few minutes all hell almost broke loose.
The Aces went back to their roots and shut down the GlobalPort Batang Pier with their trademark defense to post a 100-76 rout in that Game 2 to equalize their best-of-seven playoff.
Two days later the Aces took the initiative in their playoff when their unrelenting defense once again shut down the GlobalPort offense. Alaska posted a decisive 82-69 victory in Game 3.
The Aces engaged the Batang Pier in a bruising, defense-oriented game which they won decisively to grab a 2-1 advantage in their best-of-seven semifinal playoff.
The unforgiving Alaska defense held GlobalPort to a dismal 27-percent (24-of-91) shooting and forced the Batang Pier gunners to miss all but two of their 31 triple attempts.
GlobalPort’s breakout star Terrence Romeo also let his emotions get the better of him. He was ejected on successive technical fouls in Game 3. With the Aces leading by 11 with over six minutes left, RJ Jazul committed an offensive foul on Romeo, who retaliated by bumping Jazul.
The Rain Or Shine-San Miguel Beer playoff is tied at one-all as we went to press.
In both games the Elasto Painters jumped out to big leads. The difference is that the Elasto Painters succumbed to pressure in Game 1 and lost. They kept their composure in Game 2 and won.
The Elasto Painters built a 25-point lead which was trimmed to five late in Game 2. Despite the blazing rally the Elasto Painters retained their composure and drained pressure packed free throws to hack out a 105-97 victory to tie their own best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
Credit Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao for making the necessary adjustments which led to their Game 2 win.
Jeff Chan, who was scoreless in their Game 1 loss, bounced back by scoring 16 points – including back-to-back three-pointers late in the game – to lead the Elasto Painters to victory.
Don Trollano, who didn’t even play in Game 1, was a starter in Game 2. He chipped in 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 18 minutes of burn.
June Mar Fajardo put up his usual monster numbers with 38 points, 17 boards, one steal, and one block in 39 minutes. But he was tired, tired, tired late in the game and uncharacteristically missed 10 of 22 free throws.
In contrast to the Alaska-GlobalPort playoff, where coach Alex Compton and coach Pido Jarencio never questioned referee calls, both coaches Yeng Guiao and Leo Austria were unsatisfied with the referees.
Despite winning Game 2 Guiao still felt the need to say that based on the way the referees are calling them, he had no idea what’s a foul and what’s not a foul. He added that this was a concern not just for the Elasto Painters but for the Beermen as well.
Austria on the other hand claimed the Elasto Painters committed several travelling violations that were not called. He also questioned the backing violation called on Chris Ross. Austria said Ross did commit a backing violation but only because he was fouled by Chris Tiu.
Yes, these playoffs are heating up.