PBA: Comm. Salud summons players involved in two tune-up game scuffles

Six players from four teams led by reigning MVP Arwind Santos of the San Miguel Beermen are set to meet with PBA commissioner Chito Salud on Thursday to shed light on the fracas that marred two separate tune-up matches Tuesday.

League media bureau chief and special assistant to the commissioner Willie Marcial said Salud will start meeting the six players one by one beginning at 2pm.

San Miguel Beer sophomore June Mar Fajardo and GlobalPort’s burly big man Jondan Salvador engaged in a fight at the Acropolis gym, even as Salvador claimed the reigning MVP Santos joined the fray when the lanky forward hit him behind the head just as he was confronting Fajardo.

The Beermen were comfortably ahead, 97-81, with still four minutes to play when the game was halted.

Witnesses said the fight was sparked by the extreme physicality of the match.

Over at the Meralco gym on the same day, veteran forward Danny Ildefonso and Alaska import Bill Walker also got involved in a scuffle with still over seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter of the two team’s exhibition game.

The veteran Ildefonso claimed he was punched first on the stomach by Walker as the burly import was about to go on a fastbreak play following a defensive rebound.

The two-time MVP retaliated by swinging back at Walker, who also threw the basketball at Ildefonso.

Players and coaching staff from both teams emptied their benches to stop the fight, though witnesses said Gilas gunner Gary David came from behind to hit Walker on the face.

David, Ildefonso, and Walker were all slapped with flagrant foul penalty two for their involvement in the fracas.

Meralco prevailed, 110-103 with import and former NBA veteran Terrence Williams raining down 10 three-point shots.  - Richard Dy, SPIN