Players, mentor in melee fined P121,200

A total of P121,200 in fines was meted out yesterday as league Officer-In-Charge Renauld Barrios cracked the whip on the personalities involved in the postgame melee that marred Red Bull’s 79-77 Game 5 victory over San Miguel Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

Red Bull enforcer Jay Mendoza, who kept his emotions in check while on the floor, drew the heaviest penalty after being slapped a P51,200 fine for several offenses, including perjury against members of the fact-finding committee that looked into the fracas. Mendoza has now accumulated a total of P124,200 in fines since 1997.

Danny Ildefonso of San Miguel was also hit hard, being ordered to pay P40,000 for three offenses, one of them for belligerently approaching a game official instead of heading straight back to the San Miguel locker room after the match, despite being fined P20,000 for the same offense just 10 days earlier.

Red Bull assistant coach Gil Lumberio was slapped a P20,000 fine for his involvement in the near free-for-all while San Miguel import Nate Johnson got a P10,000 fine for almost coming to blows with Mendoza.

"We don’t like doing this to our players, but what we are having so far is a series that has been right that tensions are running high," Barrios said. "Being professional basketball players, each and every player in the PBA must be able to control his emotions."

"No amount of provocation can be deemed as an excuse for one to resort to violence, we reiterate that. No act f violence will be tolerated by this office, especially those outside the playing court."

Mendoza got a P1,200 fine for his second motion on a driving Johnson, whom he left almost splattered on the floor - face first – by taking a charge and leaving the San Miguel import airborne.

The dangerous consequences of that act, his instigation of the fracas at the hallway leading to the dugout, his act of approaching game officials after the game, his unbelievable story during the investigation and his provocative remarks towards Johnson comprise the offenses for his P50,000 fine.

Ildefonso, on the other hand, got P20,000 for his second offense at approaching an official and saying unpleasantries, the other P20,000 was for joining the commotion outside the locker room and almost coming to blows with Mendoza.

The near free-for-all in the hallway spilled over to the fans themselves, who sent at each other twice after the game, requiring security personnel of the Big Dome to break them up.