Sanctions on players involved in brawl to be announced today

Games today:

Mall of Asia Arena

5:15 p.m.- Meralco vs. Rain or Shine

7:30 p.m.- Talk ‘N Text vs. Alaska

Hefty fines and suspensions await the players who figured in a melee in Wednesday night’s game between the San Mig Coffee Mixers and Globalport Batang Pier.

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud is expected to hand down the decision on the erring players today.

San Mig’s Marc Pingris and Joe De Vance and Kelly Nabong and Marvin Hayes met with Salud yesterday.

An Inquirer report said Pingris could be slapped with the heftiest penalty of his career. Aside from several technical fouls called on him in the past, the 6-foot-5 workhorse has had a clean record in the league as far as fighting is concerned.

The only time that Pingris was asked to pay a fine for misconduct was several years ago when he was still playing for San Miguel Beer, when he and Danny Ildefonso accosted a fan at courtside. Pingris drew a P10,000 fine for that.

Salud addressed the issue on national television right after the incident.

“Fighting has no place in this league,” he said.

The fight started when Hayes and San Mig import Marqus Blakely took each other down and drew a double foul.

And after both had gotten to their feet, De Vance came out of nowhere and shoved Hayes with forearms to the chest that sent the Globalport guard down for the second time.

Nabong intervened and shoved De Vance and Blakely before he was punched in the face by Pingris. Nabong then collared Pingris before hitting him with a knee to the head.

Meanwhile, Meralco (3-2) and Rain or Shine (3-2) face each other in the first game today followed by a game between Alaska (2-2) and Talk ‘N Text (2-2). /with a report from the inquirer