By REYNALD MAGALLON
San Miguel Beer head coach Leo Austria lamented that the contentious call on Mo Tautuaa’s dunk ruined the beauty of the highly entertaining Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals at the Araneta Coliseum, Sunday, July 13.
The Beermen battled back from a huge 24-point deficit behind a fiery 19-0 rally in the fourth quarter to take a one-point lead. SMB actually put itself in position to win after Tautuaas dunk attempt bounced the rim and then went in for a 98-97 advantage with 56 seconds left.
SMB’s lead however only last for 50 seconds as the PBA technical committee, following a review, rescinded the decision to count the basket due to what was deemed a offensive basket interference, putting the Beermen down by one, 96-97 with six ticks left on the clock
“We are disappointed because we are down by 24 points and then we are able to (catch up), But the effort was put to waste eh,” said Austria, obviously frustrated over the call that allowed TNT to pull off a 99-96 escape.
According to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III, the 19-0 run in the fourth quarter of the Beermen was the sixth all-time largest unanswered run in the PBA Finals game and the biggest since TNT also had a 24-0 rally in the second quarter of the Game 3 of the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
But unlike that game which the Tropa eventually won 115-105, the huge SMB rally did not translate to a victory, becoming all-time largest unanswered run that didn’t result in a win in PBA Finals.
“It’s a nice game but the beauty of the game ay nawala so I don’t know kung anong magiging decision regarding that,” he added.
Austria said that the team was thinking of filing a protest to the league office although a meeting was already held between the technical committee led by deputy commissioner Eric Castro and San Miguel official Robert Non, shortly after the game.
“The efforts of the player, we have to reward it. We have to do something about it at dahil nakita naman natin pure effort yun sa last quarter until we get the lead,” he added
“Regarding the rules, I don’t know yet if it’s according to the rules. If its according to the rules then be it, but they have to review it,” he stressed.
