Marcial law in Finals

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial wasted no time in reaching out to Magnolia governor Rene Pardo and Alaska governor Dickie Bachmann right after Game 4 of the Governors Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday. There were incidents that happened and Marcial wanted to clear the air.

As expected, both Pardo and Bachmann had a mouthful to comment on what transpired in Game 4. For Marcial, it’s important to listen to the governors, keep the lines of communication open and assure them that things are under control without being swayed one way or the other. Then, Marcial summoned Mark Barroca and Chris Banchero to the technical committee room at the Big Dome. They were involved in a situation where Barroca took a closed-fist swing that landed below Banchero’s beltline as Mike Harris was at the stripe for the second of two free throws. It didn’t seem like the hit was thrown with force because Barroca’s back was turned to Banchero but that’s beside the point. Banchero went down writhing in pain, clearly to catch the referee’s attention. Instead, he caught Marcial’s attention.

Banchero shrugged off the hit during the meeting with Marcial. He was cool about it and said “part of the game.” It’s possible Banchero wouldn’t have been as cool if Magnolia won. Marcial gave due process to both parties before deciding how to deal with the incident. Banchero met with Marcial for about three minutes but Barroca’s turn took at least 20.  

“There was no call on the incident,” said Marcial. “That’s why I’ve decided to suspend referee (Dacz) Dacanay for failing to make the F2 call. He won’t work the rest of the Finals and maybe, the suspension will extend until next season. We are refrained from imposing the penalty of suspension on Mark due to the non-call. However, we are penalizing Mark with a fine of P50,000. I’ve told Mark that in the event of a future F2 call against him, it will be dealt with more harshly.” Game 4 ended at about 9:30 p.m. but Marcial left the Big Dome at 11 p.m.

In holding back to suspend Barroca, Marcial cited a case in the recent Commissioner’s Cup where TNT’s Don Trollano was fined P20,000 for sneaking a punch on San Miguel Beer’s Arwind Santos. The incident was missed by the referees and no call was made. The contact was discovered only after reviewing film. Because there was no call on the incident, Marcial said Trollano escaped suspension.

Meanwhile, coach Alex Compton and Magnolia coach Chito Victolero have been put on notice to refrain from publicly coming down hard on referees in media, usually a psychological ploy to swing favor in making calls the next game. In a fiercely contested Finals which is more like a chess duel, any advantage a coach is able to gain through media could go a long way. Referees are, after all, human and sensitive to public opinion.

But Marcial said, in no uncertain terms, that every game so far in the Finals has been won on merit. “Our referees have been and will continue to be a non-factor in deciding the outcome of the games,” he said. “Our referees have observed the protocol of preventive officiating. Before and during each game, we constantly remind all players of their behavior. We constantly call their attention to prevent physical play from escalating into a tussle.”

It’s a fact that both Magnolia and Alaska play physical defense. Because their guards like to press and trap, the physicality stems from the backcourt. Barroca, Banchero, Jio Jalalon, Ping Exciminiano, Justin Melton, Simon Enciso and Abel Galliguez are tough defenders who never back down. Up front, the physicality is just as evident in the way Carl Bryan Cruz, Rome de la Rosa, Kevin Racal and Rodney Brondial play defense.

Clearly, defense has been the key to every win so far in the Finals. In Game 1, Magnolia drew first blood, 100-84 and forced Alaska into 25 turnovers. In Game 2, it was another battle of attrition as the Hotshots made it two in a row, 77-71, as the Aces were held to 37.2 percent field goal shooting and committed 26 turnovers. In Game 3, the tables were reversed as Alaska won, 100-71 and the Hotshots hit a lowly 33.8 percent from the floor. In Game 4, it was more of the same with the Aces winning, 90-76 and Magnolia again shooting only 33.8 percent from the field. In the two games that Magnolia won, Alaska was held to an average of 77.5 points and in the two games that the Aces won, the Hotshots were limited to an average of 73.5 points. 

Harris’ showing has been the barometer of Alaska’s performance. In the Aces’ two setbacks, Harris averaged 21.5 points but in their two wins, he scored at a 35 point clip – a difference of 13.5 points. In Game 3, Harris was phenomenal, scattering 22 points in the third period. In Game 4, Harris remained in the zone and got a huge lift from Banchero who delivered 17 points.

Travis has outdone himself this conference. He was incredible in putting Magnolia on his back to eliminate Ginebra in Game 4 of the semifinals, scoring 21 points in the fourth period en route to a 50-point eruption. In Game 4 of the Finals, Travis knocked down 6-of-11 triples. He had buried only two threes in the Finals and 10 overall before last Wednesday’s explosion.

From the looks of things, the series will go to a Game 7. Adjustments are critical and both coaches continue to unleash new combinations in unsettling the other in the war of one-upmanship. The physicality is a given with the way both teams play defense and because of that, making the right calls consistently is critical. That’s why the PBA’s version of Marcial law is the best thing to ensure whichever team wins the championship will have done it fair and square.