Red Bull swingman Junthy Valenzuela, easily the revelation of the Commissioner’s Cup series, was slapped a P40,000 fine by the Office of the PBA Commissioner yesterday for elbowing San Miguel import Nate Johnson flush on the kisser in Game 4 Sunday.
The second-year pro out of Cebu, however, escaped suspension and, with the return of big man Kerby Raymundo from a one-game suspension, the Thunder can count on having an intact lineup when the crucial fifth game of the rugged series is played tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum.
But the latest penalty on a player in the Finals was accompanied by a lot of dressing down from officer-in-charge Renauld Barrios, who also warned Valenzuela of a sure suspension in case of a repetition of his action.
An elbow foul merits an automatic ejection from a game, under PBA rules, but not a suspension. It also carries with it fines ranging from P5,000 to the maximum of P40,000, and Valenzuela drew it for having committed his third flagrant act for the tournament.
Valenzuela was fined last June, and in Aug. 1, when he clotheslined Purefoods import David Wood in their semifinal game at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Meanwhile, on the night he was named king of the conference for the fourth straight time, San Miguel Beer’s Danny Ildefonso got what he wished he had during the awarding ceremonies — a safer ground to stand on in the ongoing finals.
"Siyempre, mas masarap yung award kung tinanggap ko na lamang kami sa series or kahit man lang tabla," said the 6-5 slotman from Pangasinan.
Ildefonso won the Best Player of the Conference award early Sunday night, but he could not celebrate much since his San Miguel team was trailing Red Bull in the race-to-four series, 1-2, going into the pivotal Game Four.
Well, after 48 minutes of an all-around performance, he got what he wanted.
He scored a triple double and backed up the scoring spree of Danny Seigle to aid San Miguel in an 88-72 victory that finally tied the championship series and reduced it to best-of-three affair.
Ildefonso had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to back up Seigle’s 26 points in the game San Miguel needed to win to keep the grand slam door open.
And he took home a little bonus.
In one of the closest balloting for the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week, Ildefonso edged out Seigle to win the citation.
He averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists in three games in the week spanning Aug. 12 to Aug. 19 to nab the citation. But it could have gone to Seigle’s way either as the 6-5 swingman provided the scoring sock for the Beermen.
But the week definitely belonged to Ildefonso.
"He deserves to be the MVP of the conference. He does a lot of things for us on the court and even when he’s not scoring, he’s making things happen for us," said San Miguel coach Jong Uichico.
"He and Danny Seigle really have a good on-court relationship. When the ball is with Danny I, Danny S knows he’s going to get it if he’s open. If the ball is with Danny S, Danny I knows he’s also going to get it if he’s open. There’s absolutely no unselfishness between those two guys and among the rest of the team," he added.