YENG GUIAO fired the first shot at Talk ‘N Text import Ivan Johnson heading to their winner-take-all Game Seven of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup finals on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Right after their 101-93 Game Six win on Sunday that tied the series at 3-3, Guiao called Johnson “mentally unstable” and is getting special treatment from game officials.
Both teams are showing no love to each other—including the players’ wives (Tropang Texters forward Harvey Carey’s wife November had a spat after Game Six with Camille Dowling-Ibañes, wife of Elasto Painters’ Jireh Ibañes).
“I think he’s mentally unstable,” Guiao said after Game Six. “But that should help us.”
In Game One of the series, Johnson bumped Guiao from behind right in front of the Rain or Shine bench and was fined P150,000 by the league.
Johnson was also involved in the near free-for-all in Game Four that resulted to the one-game suspension of Elasto Painters center JR Quiñahan for throwing the ball to Talk ‘N Text rookie Matt Ganuelas-Rosser. That incident totaled P130,000 in fines with Ganuelas-Rosser and Ibañes each charged P40,000 and Quiñahan P50,000.
The former National Basketball Association (NBA) forward was also the reason Rain or Shine’s top man Paul Lee lost his front tooth in Game Three.
Last Sunday Johnson again hit the driving Lee on the face and Guiao felt that the Tropang Texters import is getting away with it.
“What do you need to get a flagrant-foul call? Sino ba naman maniniwala na bola ang habol niya? He was two arms’ length of the ball and he knew he would get Paul’s face,” Guiao said.
“And then he kept bumping us again and he wasn’t even called for a technical. Hinabol niya si Chris [Tiu] after Chris tried to steal the ball. Why wasn’t he warned? And he was in a fighting stance,” he added.
Guiao said Johnson deliberately hit and yet got away from the referees.
Johnson had his worst game in the conference, finishing with just six points on two-of-nine shooting from the floor in 32 minutes.
“It happens,” said Talk ‘N Text Head Coach Jong Uichico, who drew double figures from five local players, led by Ranidel de Ocampo (21) and Jayson Castro (17).
But Uichico gave credit to Guiao and to the Elasto Painters for the adjustments they made to tie the series and force a do-or-die Game Seven.
Joel Orellana
Image credits: Kevin dela Cruz