Meralco Bolts head coach Luigi Trillo defended active team consultant Nenad Vucinic following his verbal altercation with Rain or Shine Elasto Painters mentor Joseller “Yeng” Guiao and center Beau Belga during their PBA Commissioner’s Cup game on Sunday night.
In a post-game press conference after the Bolts’ 121-111 win over the Painters, Trillo stated that it is not in Vucinic’s character to confront opposing players.
“Mabait naman si coach Nenad, e. He’s not the type of person to do that who would talk to players. It’s not in him,” Trillo said. “Kiskisan lang ‘yun.”
“I think Beau spoke to him (Vucinic), and he said, ‘I’m not talking to you,’” he added. “Si Beau ang nauna run. I think coach Nenad just wanted to tell him na hindi siya [ang kausapin] and umalis na siya.”
The incident occurred early in the fourth quarter after Belga blocked a shot by Meralco center Norbert Torres, but a foul was called on his teammate Andre Caracut.
After retrieving the ball, Belga threw it forcefully onto the rolling ad board, which led to a confrontation with Vucinic. Moments later, Guiao intervened, shouting at Vucinic.
Guiao explained that he simply wanted to advise Vucinic to communicate with the Bolts players instead of arguing with the Painters’ players.
“Wala naman ‘yun. Ano lang ‘yun, sidelights lang,” Guiao said. “I don’t know what happened, but he was picking up an argument with Beau. Pinapa-ano ko lang na huwag niyang kausapin ‘yung mga players (ko), ‘yung players (na lang niya) ang kausapin niya.”
Belga, for his part, said that he only told Vucinic not to try influencing the referees with his shouting on the bench.
“Ang sabi ko sa kanya, stop acting like it was na may nangyaring kakaiba; they (the referees) might have done something. Wala naman eh,” said Belga. “Para bigyan mo ng ganun ‘yung mga referee, parang hindi magandang tignan.”
