Austria: Bump not accidental; Traffic forces Guiao to walk

MANILA, Philippines – After reviewing the game tape at home, San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria has become more convinced Rain or Shine forward Jireh Ibañes intentionally hurt Junmar Fajardo in their game Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With a bump from Ibañes, Fajardo hyperextended his left knee which is now bruised and swollen, raising fears that the 6-foot-10 would miss the San Miguel Beer-Alaska Milk title rematch.

Ibañes has apologized, saying he didn’t intend to hurt Fajardo. Austria, however, doubted if it was really a clean play as most people believed.

“He put his right foot in front of Junmar’s left then he sat on Junmar’s leg. Parang ni-Muay Thai eh,” said Austria, insisting Ibañes’ move wasn’t like the normal one done by a player to box out a rival player in a rebound play.

“If it were Beau Belga, Jewel Ponferada or JR Quiñahan, yes it may be just a box out. But Ibañes came from nowhere. He’s not Junmar’s man,” Austria also said.

“They may be really after Junmar as they were probably thinking they would have a better chance to win if Junmar’s not there,” added the SMB coach.

Apologies by Ibañes didn’t appease Austria.

“Of course, I felt very bad. Junmar is my main man, and I’m an advocate of clean basketball,” said Austria.

Curiously, Austria was the one who drafted Ibañes when the former was still calling the shots for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

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One was not mistaken if he thought he saw a glimpse of somebody looking like Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao rushing on the EDSA sidewalk during the  traffic snarl Friday.

That was really the ROS mentor who got stuck in the jam while having to catch a do-or-die game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Caught for over an hour in a traffic jam, Guiao decided to walk all the way from Ayala ave. to Cubao. He reached the Big Dome and got to their bench at the 8:36 mark of the second quarter.

“Sinilip nya yung MRT pero grabe ang pila. So he just walked and it took him one and a half hours to reach Araneta,” said Yeng’s wife Jenny.

Guiao came from the airport, flying in from Negros where he attended a speaking engagement.