PBA: Fines but no suspensions for Dillinger, Abueva

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud upgraded the technical fouls on Meralco Bolt Jared Dillinger and Alaska Ace Calvin Abueva to flagrant fouls, and meted out fines to both players, but none were suspended, allowing their respective teams to continue their postseason push with their rosters intact, the league announced Tuesday.

PBA Comm. Chito Salud on Abueva, Dillinger and David: Upon review of the incident and hearing the (cont) http://t.co/4lQ9k6N6X5

— pbaconnect (@pbaconnect) January 14, 2014

The incident occurred last Friday, during Meralco’s 74-65 win. After blocking Dillinger’s shot, Abueva’s right hand hit Dillinger, before the two fell to the floor. When the duo regained their balance, Dillinger grabbed Abueva, before referees separated the two sides.

[Related: David, Dillinger do it all as Bolts burn Aces]

Salud upgraded Dillinger’s foul to a flagrant/unsportsmanlike foul due to ‘his act of physically restraining Calvin Abueva by grappling him by the neck, along with the taunting and trash-talking,” and fined him P10,000.

As for Abueva, the league did the same upgrade, due to the “hard blows, inadvertent as they may seem, he landed on Jared Dillinger causing the latter’s face to bleed and bruise.” He was also fined P10,000, plus an additional P3,000 due to his “proclivity to exaggerate fouls against him and other forms of physical contact in which he is involved.

Finally, Dillinger’s teammate, Gary David, was fined P5,000 having “taken a fighting stance that could have exacerbated the incident.”

David was seen “raising his right arm with a closed fist toward the direction of the fallen Abueva.”

[Related: GlobalPort snaps five-game skid, hurdles Alaska in overtime]

During Sunday’s game, Alaska held out Abueva in their 91-88 overtime loss to the GlobalPort Batang Pier, with the team saying the reigning Rookie of the Year suffered a sprain during practice.

The Aces are currently in ninth place with a 4-9 card, with their last game coming on Sunday, against Barako Bull Energy Cola. Meralco on the other hand is tied with the San Mig Coffee Mixers at 5-7. They’ll play the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Wednesday, followed by the Petron Blaze Boosters on Saturday. - AMD, GMA News