MANILA, Pilipinas — Ang taga-ibabaw ni Rain or Shine na si Andrei Caracut ay nagpahayag ng kaniyang pagbalewala sa usapan nang magkakasundo pa ang mga manlalaro habang dumaraan sa huling bahagi ng Laro 6 ng semi-finals ng PBA Philippine Cup noong Linggo.
With just moments left in a contest that was already settled, TNT player Jordan Heading became entangled with Rain or Shine's Jhonard Clarito during a jump ball, sparking chaos at the closing stage involving multiple athletes.
READ: PBA: TNT ousts Rain or Shine, returns to finals with Grand Slam hopes
Caracut, though, shrugged it off and said it was just a byproduct of both squads’ competitiveness.
“I saw Jhonard accidentally sit on Jordan and suddenly it got chaotic. I saw Jhonard get pushed and of course, I need to protect my teammate,” recalled Caracut after the Elasto Painters were eliminated following a 97-85 loss to the Tropang 5G at Araneta Coliseum.
"Ultimately, everyone realized that emotions were intense and no one wished to lose. We all gave each other high fives. Once the game ended, everything was over," he said following his 15-point performance in Rain or Shine's last match of the season.
After rising from the chaos of the jump ball, Clarito was shoved by TNT's Glenn Khobuntin. Khobuntin along with his teammate Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser were subsequently restrained by Caracut to prevent further conflicts.
However, the commotion did not completely stop there.
PBA: Rain or Shine defeats TNT to remain alive in the semifinals
Clarito was trying to make his argument before the officials when Ganuelas-Rosser approached Khobuntin, stopping him from having further conflicts with the Elasto Painters.
Despite this, Khobuntin approached Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, who was not happy with his ex-player's behavior.
Moments before the clock expired, Khobuntin, Caracut, and Ganuelas-Rosser received technical penalties because of heated arguments.
Everything ended well, as all parties reconciled when the final whistle blew, allowing the Tropang 5G to advance to their third consecutive PBA Finals.
"At the core of it, we all understand that these players are simply aiming to win a game, just as we do. Tensions arise because athletes become competitive, and that's just how things go," stated Heading concerning the issue.
"Thanks to those guys, they had an excellent season and it's really amazing how bold and determined they are every single game," he added.