PBA upholds Purefoods win

The PBA Commissioner’s Office upheld yesterday Purefoods’ 84-83 victory over Alaska Milk Wednesday, ruling the Aces failed to meet all the requirements for their protest to be given due course.

Thus, the Giants kept the win and a pacesetting 8-1 win-loss record at the end of their stint in the first round of the elimination phase in the 2007-08 Smart PBA Philippine Cup.

In its protest lodged with a bond of P20,000, Alaska cited two errors on the part of the referees in the last 6.9 seconds that allegedly altered the outcome of the game.

Barrios, however, ruled the incidents raised were judgement calls and not technical in nature which is required for a protest to progress.

“We realize that the subject incidents have caused you and your team some officiating concerns, to say the least. We share these concerns not only in the game under protest but also in other non-Alaska games with so-called bad/controversial calls,” said Barrios in a letter to Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo.

“Please rest assured that we shall continue to find ways to improve the quality of officiating in the PBA even if such mistakes are merely products of human frailty,” Barrios added.

Trillo said they would review Barrios’ decision and would come out with a reply today.

Four teams bunched closely behind Purefoods mix it up at the resumption of play at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Talk n Text and Air21 clash at 4:50 p.m. while Magnolia and Red Bull collide at 7:20 p.m. with each one eyeing second spots behind the Giants at the close of the first round of the elims.

Magnolia and Talk n Text are right behind Purefoods at 5-3, followed by Red Bull at 4-3, Alaska Milk and Sta. Lucia at 4-4 and Air21 at 3-4.

With that as backdrop, the Phone Pals, the Beverage Masters, the Barakos and the Express slug it out in an exciting Friday doubleheader. All four teams are looking for consistency in their games.

“The boys have the tendency to relax after a won game,” said Talk n Text coach Derrick Pumaren.