MANILA, Philippines – TNT big man Poy Erram meant no harm.

Erram apologized for his hard foul as he left Magnolia stalwart Ian Sangalang wounded in the fourth quarter of their finals-berth-clinching 87-74 win in the PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, August 14.

Attempting for a block, Erram inadvertently hit Sangalang in the head with 11 minutes left, a blow that opened a gash above the left eyebrow of the Hotshots star.

A bloodied Sangalang needed to get patched up as the referees slapped Erram with a flagrant foul penalty 2 that led to his ejection.

“I did not intend to hurt him. Many people will not believe me, but I did not mean what happened,” Erram said in Filipino.

Erram – who finished with a near double-double of 8 points and 10 rebounds to go with 3 assists and 2 blocks – insisted that he went for the ball but happened to hit Sangalang on his way down.

“It was nothing intentional. I want to say sorry, even if I did not intend what happened, I still hurt somebody,” he said.

Fortunately for Erram, the Tropang Giga held on to their slim lead and pulled away late behind Jayson Castro and Mikey Williams to wrap up the best-of-seven semifinals in six games.

It will be the third straight All-Filipino finals appearance for Erram and TNT, who look to defend the championship they won last season against either San Miguel or Meralco.

“We have a lot of players who can step up. Luckily, we got the win and we move on.”

The Tropang Giga get some much-needed rest as they wait for their finals foe, with the Beermen and the Bolts tangling in a do-or-die Game 7 on Wednesday, August 17. – Rappler.com