Erring PBA cagers face sanctions

The PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four, as expected, has turned out to be a big August joust replete with action, drama and excitement. But hostilities have reached a higher level of intensity that protagonists had become extra emotional, forcing the Commissioner’s Office to step in and warn that no act of violence will be tolerated in the league.

Acting commissioner Sonny Barrios yesterday summoned six players who are all likely to be sanctioned for various offenses ranging from flagrant to deliberate and technical fouls that marred the ongoing series. They are Red Bull’s Mick Pennisi and Junthy Valenzuela, Alaska’s Sean Chambers and Ali Peek, San Miguel Beer’s Danny Ildefonso and Purefoods Andy Seigle.

However, Barrios has yet to come up with the sanctions at presstime.

But tension and emotions are expected to run even higher tomorrow since the four teams will be disputing the championship berths in a double knockout match after the Hotdogs and the Aces forced a pair of Game Fives Sunday.

Pennisi is likely to draw a huge fine for a flagrant foul on Purefoods’ Boyet Fernandez that nearly triggered a free-for-all in the Red Bull-Purefoods in Game Four of their semis match-up.

Finding no room to maneuver off a tough Purefoods defense, Pennisi slammed the ball hard on Fernandez’s face, knocking the Purefoods’ guard down on the floor. The Red Bull cager was ejected from the court later on after figuring in a spat with the Hotdogs on the Purefoods bench.

In Game Two of the Red Bull-Purefoods series, Seigle was called for flagrant fouls on Tony Lang and Jimwell Torion. Valenzuela was also called for a deliberate foul for hitting David Wood in the neck while the Purefoods import was on a breakaway run. Wood fell flat on his back and suffered a bloody nose.

Blood likewise spilled in the San Miguel-Alaska contest, also last Sunday, with Freddie Abuda sustaining a busted lip after grappling for a loose ball against Chambers. Ildefonso got a technical for attacking the Alaska import.

In Game Two, Peek got his own technical, also for a near fight with Danny Seigle.

Barrios summoned not only players but also game officials, particularly referees Boy Cruz, Ogie Bernarte and Franco Ilagan, who officiated the Alaska-San Miguel game Sunday.

The Aces nearly lost a won match with the game going into overtime on what had looked like a misjudgement by the referees on a crucial shot by San Miguel import Nate Johnson with only 2.2 seconds left in regulation. Cruz ruled it a three-point conversion but replays of that particular play on video showed Johnson clearly stepped on the three-point line before launching the shot that forced the overtime.

The Aces, however, still prevailed in overtime.