Blackwater mulls contesting jump ball call in Meralco loss

MANILA, Philippines – Expansion team Blackwater Elite is considering to appeal a crucial call late in regulation of their 83-75 overtime loss to the Meralco Bolts in the 2015 Philippine Cup on Tuesday, October 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

Blackwater head coach Leo Isaac spoke to reporters after the game and said team officials plan to take a closer look at the tape and review the call – with the possibility of contesting it at the PBA Office.

“Hindi ko pa alam pero (I don’t know yet but) team officials are discussing it and trying to get a copy of the tape,” he said, referring to the jump ball called in the dying seconds of regulation.

According to Isaac, the referee, who had a clear view of the play at the baseline, didn’t make the “correct call” in whistling a jump ball when center Jason Ballesteros signaled for one after securing the rebound off a point-blank miss by Reynel Hugnatan. 

As a result, Meralco’s Sean Anthony was able to tie Ballesteros up with 2.2 ticks left.

Ballesteros, who also grabbed 13 rebounds, won the tap but there wasn’t enough time to make a shot as time expired in regulation with the game tied at 70.

“Maraming nagsasabi na obviously there was a timeout called but the officials ruled otherwise, but anyway, ganoon talaga,” Isaac said. (Many say that obviously there was a timeout called but the officials ruled otherwise, but anyway, it is what it is.)

Had a timeout been called, Blackwater would have had possession with about 5 seconds to spare.

“The other team won’t give you an easy victory and the referees will call what they see so it’s our opinion that there should be a timeout. But the referees’ opinion is different so kailangan namin reviewhin yung tape (we have to review the tape).” 

Meralco had control for most of the game and held a double-digit 61-47 advantage coming into the fourth. But Blackwater came alive and mounted a comeback anchored on swingman Alex Nuyles’ 10 fourth quarter points.

Bambam Gamalinda tied the count at 70 on a three-pointer off a Nuyles dish with 14.8 seconds left, before Meralco failed to win on the final possession.

“We were only hoping that we could squeeze in a favorable call from the rebound of Jason Ballesteros na baka timeout eh (that it could have been a timeout),” Isaac lamented. 

“So kung nabigay yung tamang tawag we could have had possession in the last 2.8 seconds for the game-winner pero hindi naibigay sa amin. So we have to be contented playing with our battered players in the overtime.” (So if they gave us the right call we could have had possession in the last 2.8 seconds for the game-winner but it wasn’t given to us.)

The Bolts, who also eked out a victory in double overtime against Barako Bull last week, leaned on the timely baskets of John Wilson in overtime to avoid an upset.

The former D-League champions Blackwater are still winless after 3 games in the PBA so far. – Rappler.com