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TNT repulses Phoenix in emotional clash

Another day in the office for Terrence Jones. PBA Media Group
By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—TNT walked away a 114-88 winner over Phoenix in a tense PBA Commissioner's Cup showdown at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Sunday night.

In a match that even saw the Fuel Masters' head coach Louie Alas and the KaTropa's active consultant Mark Dickel being sent off, the KaTropa had the last laugh over the Fuel Masters behind a solid second half.

The clash quickly became heated just three minutes in when Anthony Semerad and Rob Dozier tried to shove each other's arms while jockeying for position with Calvin Abueva stepping in to separate the two.

David Semerad then confronted Abueva for what he thought was a hard push on his twin brother, and Alas came to Abueva's defense by appearing to have pushed David, further fueling the tension.

The Semerad Twins, Alas, and Jason Perkins were ejected during the altercation.

Dickel was shown the door just three seconds for a second disrespectful address to an official after complaining to the referees about a clear path foul slapped on Terrence Jones.

Another altercation happened in the second period as Don Trollano and Alex Mallari shoved each other right at the start of the quarter.

Both players were only slapped with a technical foul each aside from the double foul and spared of ejection.

Eventually, TNT pulled away in the second half to take the win, but not without some more drama as Abueva and Jones got entangled in some sequences and the latter appearing to have hit the former at the groin area out of frustration.

The color between the two reached boiling point when Abueva brought Jones down with a clothesline, meriting the former a Flagrant Foul Penalty 2 and outright ejection.

Jones finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, one block, and four steals for the KaTropa, who tied the NorthPort Batang Pier for second place at 3-1.

RR Pogoy added a career-high 31 points on eight treys, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Jayson Castro chipped in a quiet triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists with three steals.

Matt Wright led Phoenix, which dropped to 1-1, with 21 points, three rebounds, one assist, and three steals, although he too had seven turnovers.

Abueva (11 rebounds) and Rob Dozier (12) each had 16-point double-doubles.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno