PBA suspends referees for crucial missed call in Ginebra vs Magnolia

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) suspended the officiating crew that worked Sunday’s Commissioner’s Cup game between Magnolia and Barangay Ginebra over a missed call that marred the dying seconds of the thrilling renewal of the “Manila Clasico” at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Deputy commissioner Eric Castro confirmed that Peter Balao, Marty Montoya, Joel Baldago and Julius Medillo were sanctioned after no foul was called on Mark Barroca when he stopped Scottie Thompson from scoring a layup in the latter part of the contest won by the Hotshots, 93-91.

“Unacceptable. There was contact. We failed to make a call,” Castro said in a statement released by the PBA on its website.

Ginebra was down one when Thompson went for the go-ahead basket and no whistle was heard. A visibly upset coach Tim Cone tried to go for the challenge but the Gin Kings had already exhausted their timeouts.

Had they got at least one, the Gin Kings could go for the challenge since they earlier got a successful try when Maverick Ahanmisi’s three was deemed a made basket while Paul Lee fouled import Tony Bishop underneath.

“During the game—in real time while the play was on, the game crew did not see a foul. The officials failed to call a foul (missed call) on Barroca against Thompson in the last 11.5 seconds of the [fourth] quarter,” Castro said.

“With this, the officiating crew of the game between Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots are suspended for failing to assess the infraction,” he added.

It was the second straight game day that the league handed sanctions on officials for errant calls.

One of the referees who officiated Saturday’s match between Terrafirma and NLEX was also suspended after a foul was called on the Dyip’s Andreas Cahilig while trying to block Road Warriors import Thomas Robinson’s reverse layup.

Replays, however, showed that Cahilig did not hit Robinson during the play. Terrafirma prevailed, 113-112, after Robinson missed the second of his two foul throws.