Patas na tawagan hiling ni Racela

MANILA, Philippines - Wish ni Talk ‘N Text KaTropa head coach Nash Racela na sana parehas lang ang tawagan sa kanilang muling paghaharap ng top seed San Miguel Beer sa Game Five ng best-of-seven semifinal series ng 42nd Philippine Cup ngayong alas-7 ng gabi sa Araneta Coliseum.

 “They got what they wanted. They were demanding some treatment from the referees after the last game. If you’ll look at what Ross (Chris) and (Marcio) Lassiter said, they got it today, the kind of entitlement because they’re the champions,” sabi ni Racela pagkatapos ng kanilang 86-97 talo sa Beermen sa Game Four noong Martes upang maitabla ang serye sa 2-2.

“I was surprised there was no lady referee today.  I really thought the last re-feree was the one who was calling the right calls. All of a sudden, wala ‘yung lady referee,” dagdag ni Racela.

Nagwagi ang tropa ni coach Leo Austria, 111-98 sa opening ng semis noong Miyerkules ngunit nanalo naman ang KaTropa sa Game Two, 87-85 noong Biyernes at Game Three, 98-92 noong Linggo.

“Hindi ko naman sinasabi ‘yun (that I’m not happy with the way the game was officiated), but I was just surprised there was no lady referee today.  What’s something I can’t explain is what they were saying about entitlement. They’re saying they’re the defending champions. They have the MVP. All of a sudden they have special treatment on the calls. Ako I don’t like that,” dagdag ni Racela.

“If you want to demand something, you demand the right calls. If we win getting the right calls, we lose getting the right calls, tanggapin natin, but don’t demand for some special treatment. Sa akin it’s wrong,” ayon kay Racela.

Umiskor si Chris Ross ng career-high na 31 puntos para sa ikalawang panalo ng back-to-back Philippine Cup champion Beermen laban sa KaTropa. (Francisco Cagape)