MANILA – Already disarmed with its twice-to-beat incentive, the NLEX Road Warriors was further handicapped ahead of its 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup knockout quarterfinals game against NorthPort Batang Pier tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The No. 1 seed Road Warriors will be heading into the all-important match at 7 p.m. without center John Paul Erram and rookie guard Paul Varilla who were both slapped with a one-game suspension by the PBA Commissioner’s Office.
Erram was penalized for elbowing Batang Pier’s import Michael Qualls behind the neck as defense to his teammate Varilla, who was stepped on the body by Qualls. He was also fined P60,000.
Varilla, on the other hand, was also suspended for punching Qualls as retaliation for the latter stepping on his body and also inadvertently elbowing Batang Pier’s center Christian Standhardinger. He was told to pay P50,000.
Road Warriors’ Philip Paniamogan was penalized P5,000 for elbowing Standhardinger’s abdomen, while Standhardinger was also told to pay the same amount for elbow on Road Warriors’ guard Kiefer Ravena’s abdomen.
Curiously, Qualls was spared from any suspension or fine by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial despite instigating the brawl. He was also curiously not called any foul for that clear step on Varilla’s body.
“He attacked the basket. I was trying to get a charge so I fell down. When I fell, he stepped on me on purpose because we’re going back at it from earlier on,” Varilla explained.
He added: “He (Qualls) started it first on the court. I was trying to get an offensive rebound, then I became physical with him. And then he was calling me names. I wanted to make a stand. This is the playoffs, so I’m not gonna back down to him.”/PN
