THE two imports—Red Bull’s Adam Parada and Sta. Lucia’s Wesley Wilson—involved in Wednesday’s fight-marred game were not suspended, but Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Renauld Barrios did hurt them in their pockets.

Barrios came up with his verdict after hearing offenders separately Thursday afternoon at the PBA headquarters in Libis, Quezon City.

The infraction committed by the two mammoths cost them P85,000 in total fines with the big, stocky Wilson taking the big chunk, with P65,000 (P5,000 for flagrant foul penalty 1 and the maximum P60,000 for fighting foul)

Parada, Red Bull’s seven-foot reinforcement, was fined P20,000. 

The commotion that transpired in the closing minutes of the game won by the Barakos, 105-78, started when Wilson bumped hard a dribbling Jojo Duncil, causing the Red Bull rookie to fall. 

Parada, who was trailing them, came to his teammates’ rescue by pushing Wilson, who responded with a wayward elbow that caught him in the cheek.

Barrios gave three compelling reason why Wilson was spared suspension—he allowed himself to be easily pacified by cooler heads and peacefully stood in the sidelines without the need of being restrained from further physical confrontation, he immediately left the court when game officials ejected him and his shot on Parada wasn’t done with a closed fist and didn’t cause injury to the Red Bull import.

The decision should be a welcome news for the Realtors, who are scheduled to play the Air21 Express on Sunday. 

No Doubt

LOS ANGELES—Kobe Bryant stared down the crowd as if he were staring down his teammates.

He shouted into the cavernous arena as if he were shouting into a huddle.

Tigers, Pals eye ‘W’ No. 6

THEY may be coming from opposite directions, but Coca-Cola and Talk ’N Text have something in common when they take the court tonight.

THE two imports—Red Bull’s Adam Parada and Sta. Lucia’s Wesley Wilson—involved in Wednesday’s fight-marred game were not suspended, but Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Renauld Barrios did hurt them in their pockets.

HARBOUR CENTRE and Hapee Toothpaste begin their quest for another titular showdown as the semifinal series of the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup starts today at the Tarlac State University Gym in Tarlac City.

FORMER two-time world champion Efren “Bata” Reyes lived up to his moniker as “The Magician,” as he survived erstwhile conqueror Joven Bustamante with a come-from-behind 8-7 victory Thursday for a slot in the Top 16 of the first Senate President Manny Villar Cup billiards tournament at the Starmall sportscenter in Alabang, Muntilupa.

Angelo Que found himself on the brink of elimination with a disastrous six-over par 78, but compatriot Gerald Rosales took up the cudgels with a three-under-par 69 to stay four strokes behind joint leaders Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand and Iain Steel of Malaysia in the first round of the Pine Valley Beijing Open in China on Thursday.

I JUST got back from an overnight assignment-cum-vacation in the beautiful province of Pangasinan.

Yes, to be exact, we just got back from a Manila-to-Pangasinan “XC70 Freedom Destination Drive” organized by Volvo of the Viking Cars.