MANILA – Meralco Bolts head coach Luigi Trillo called for consistency in officiating following what he said were non-calls late in their tough loss to the Phoenix Fuel Masters on Wednesday.
The Bolts had to go all-Filipino against the Fuel Masters while their import Jordon Varnado still nursing a "minor injury."
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Despite not having a reinforcement, Meralco still gave Phoenix a hard time as they refused to give up until the final buzzer.
But crucial calls and stops down the stretch went to the side of the Fuel Masters, resulting in the 98-97 loss to open the Bolts' campaign.
"I think both teams played well. Congrats to Phoenix. It came down to possessions. But I don't know, those last few possessions, they didn't call fouls. They went three times to the basket and there were fouls called," Trillo told reporters at the Araneta Coliseum.
"Our main guy, star player, [Chris] Newsome gets hacked three times but there's no call. So I can understand why our guys, I kind of shook hands and then I saw they were all there, even our governor, the manager," he added.
Among the supposed non-calls Trillo was referring to was the final play, where JL Delos Santos of Phoenix blocked Meralco guard Chris Newsome with 43 seconds left on the clock.
"Those calls need to be made because those are decisions where you dictate the game. So they got to the free-throw line three times in those last three possessions and we did not... I think you have to come down to consistency," he said.
"And these little things in the end, that's tough for us. But again, you have to roll with the punches. 26 to 20 fouls. I think if they had called one or two, it wouldn't be that far. Clearly, Phoenix earned that win because they kept on trying. They were down hard. They got to the basket. They were aggressive and they got some calls," the Meralco mentor pointed out.
Trillo said there's not much adjustment as the PBA begins aligning its rules to FIBA-sanctioned tournaments in a bid to help national team players.
The Meralco bench tactician clarified he is simply asking for consistency with calls for both teams during games.
"No adjustment. It's clear. If our guy gets to the basket and if that gets hit here, that's a foul. And you see them going to the basket, it's the same. I like the way things are. But at the end of the day, coaches get fired. They should put pressure on the referee or the guy in charge. He should also get fired if he's not doing his job," he said.
"We're at the short end of the stick this time, so it is what it is. But clearly, at the end, it's not a guarantee you'll win the game. But you're just looking for consistency from both," Trillo added.
Meralco will look to bounce back as they welcome replacement import Antonio Hester on Saturday, when they take on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
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