GINEBRA LEVELS SERIES AS TALK ‘N TEXT WALKS OUT OF GAME 4

February 06, 2010

From: www.pba.ph

TALK `N Text forfeited Game 4 of its quarterfinal showdown with Barangay Ginebra Friday night in a stunning twist expected to add drama and emotion to their do-or-die encounter for a semifinal berth in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup.

A disputed flagrant foul-penalty two called on Ranidel de Ocampo sparked off the incident, which turned out to be the last straw for coach Chot Reyes to order the Tropang Texters and his entire coaching staff to walk out of the Araneta Coliseum floor with a minute left in the opening quarter and the Kings leading, 27-20.

De Ocampo was whistled for a foul against Ronald Tubid while the Barangay Ginebra shooting guard was driving for a basket.

The entire Tropang Texters immediately proceeded to their dugout, dressed up, and never returned to the court again.

As standard operating procedure, Talk `N Text was given a five-minute grace period to go back to the playing court. When the buzzer sounded, a pair of one-minute grace periods was again given them.

But to no avail.

And so, the Kings walked off with another win to level the best-of-seven series at two games apiece, with the decisive Game 5 set on Sunday also at the Big Dome.

Winner of the Kings-Tropang Texters duel will meet the Alaska Aces in the semifinals, a best-of-seven affair.

“I’m happy, they gave the game to us. We will take any win, and we are here to win,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

“I’m not going to talk about exactly what happened. That’s their (Talk `N Text) decision and we abide by it,” Uichico added.

League Commissioner Sonny Barrios tried to talk out the Tropang Texters from finishing the game through Talk `N Text Board representative Ricky Vargas and team manager Virgil Villavicencio, but failed to convince both officials.

Later, following an extensive meeting with team officials of both Talk `N Text and Ginebra, Barrios announced that a minimum fine of P500,000 will be slapped on the Tropang Texters and more if he finds there is a need.

The Commissioner has also called Villavicencio for a meeting at his office Saturday afternoon.

“As sportsmen and gentlemen, we will have a Game 5,” Barrios announced. “I’d rather not think that there won’t be a Game 5.”

The incident marked the first time in the last 20 years that a team walked out and forfeited a PBA game.

Then known as Anejo, Barangay Ginebra and playing coach Robert Jaworski Sr were fined P500,000 for forfeiting Game 6 of the 1990 First Conference championship series against Formula Shell, which went on to win the title after the Rhum Makers refused to go back to the playing court.

Red Bull also did the same during the 2006 Philippine Cup semifinals opposite San Miguel, although the Barakos returned to the playing court upon the order of the late team manager Tony Chua and finished Game 4 of the series, which the Beermen won, 106-82. (GR)