ABL cracks whip on erring players

THE ASEAN Basketball League cracked down on the players involved in the melee during the heated match between the AirAsia Philippine Patriots and the San Miguel Beermen last Sunday at the Arena in San Juan.

The league announced on its website that fines have been imposed on the Patriots for clearing their bench during the said incident which happened in the third period.

Anthony Johnson was going up for a lay-up when he was fouled hard by San Miguel’s Aries Dimaunahan. This sparked a bench-clearing brawl that saw players from both teams engage in scuffles.

Patriots’ Johnson and Erick Rodriguez were fined and meted a one-game suspension for “fighting and violent behavior for their part in the altercation.” Cebuano bruiser Ardy Larong also got a one game suspension for continuance of unsportsmanlike behavior after receiving an unsportsmanlike foul in an unrelated incident during the third quarter.

For the Beermen, Dimaunahan will be suspended for a game for the flagrant foul that he committed on Johnson while Jun Cabatu will also be suspended for one game “for unsportsmanlike behavior for his part in the brawl.” /Correspondent Jonas Panerio