PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro shed light on the controversial call on Mo Tautuaa and his go-ahead dunk late in Game 1 of the Philippine Cup Finals between San Miguel and TNT.
What had shaped up to be a runaway victory for TNT ended in a thriller marred by controversy.
Such was what happened in the Tropang 5G's pulsating 99-96 win over San Miguel in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals Sunday, July 13.
The controversy stemmed from SMB big man Mo Tautuaa’s dunk with 56.1 ticks left to play, which the technical committee later ruled an offensive basket interference.
[RELATED STORY: TNT withstands San Miguel 4th-quarter fightback to gain headstart in PBA Philippine Cup Finals]
The slam — which saw the ball go straight up before going in — was supposed to give the Beermen a 98-97 lead with 56 seconds left.
Tautuaa’s basket was nullified, and the Tropang 5G consequently got the headstart in the best-of-seven series.
Deputy commissioner Eric Castro later shed light on the controversial call.
“As you’ve seen in the replay, when Mo dunked in the last 56 seconds, nahila niya 'yong ring,” said Castro after the match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
“Regardless kung may tamaan siya na part ng ring, the fact na nahila niya 'yong ring pababa is a violation already, considered offensive basket interference.”
To drive his point home, Castro cited a provision on the PBA’s rule book.
“An offensive player causes the backboard to vibrate or grasps the basket in such a way that, in the judgment of the official, the ball has been caused to enter the basket,” Castro read.
The committee, however, only had a chance to review the play during a dead-ball situation when Chris Ross and Jordan Heading were about to go for a jump ball.
“It just so happened na tuluy-tuloy 'yong game, there was no dead ball. Tapos around five seconds remaining, there was a jumpball between Heading and Chris Ross… We’ve been reviewing it habang live ball, but that’s the only time we're able to announce it to our barker, the correction,” said Castro.
Asked how one can determine basket interference when it’s a dunk, Castro had a simple explanation.
“Clearly, in the replay, you’ll see. There’s a good angle shown by TV5: there’s a pulling ng ring after that missed dunk. So 'yong dunk natin should be direct dunking,” he said.
In the event the game ended without a dead ball and a chance to announce the violation, Castro said the league will still correct it post-game.
“In the event that there was no dead ball at natapos 'yong game, under our rules, we can still correct it. So the possibility of winning the game at the end, minus the correction, because of walang dead ball, mangyayari 'yon,” he said.