Diamond Stone downplays spat with Beau Belga: 'It's basketball'

Diamond Stone said his tussle with Beau Belga was just part of the game. PBA Images

By Ivan Saldajeno

PASIG--Diamond Stone's explosive Sunday night for San Miguel was not without some drama as he engaged in a verbal tussle against Rain Or Shine enforcer Beau Belga.

Tensions flared with 4:37 left in their game at the PhilSports Arena when Stone and Belga hurled some choice words at each other during a timeout.

Cooler heads prevailed in restoring order but not without Belga apparently hitting Stone, leading to a Flagrant Foul Penalty 2 which kicked the burly Elasto Painter out of the ballgame.

Belga's absence was dearly felt as the Beermen eventually secured the victory.

[Related Story: Diamond Stone drops 42 as SMB nips ROS for 1st win in PBA Comm's Cup]

However, Stone said after the game that the spat was not a big deal.

"It's basketball. It's just a lot of tension in the game. Both teams wanna win. Not really something to discuss. We're just playing basketball," he said.

Stone put up 42 points to lead SMB, and while you can't blame Belga for getting frustrated, Stone said that he just followed Coach Leo Austria's advice to give his all.

"Coach told me before the game in practice, 'Don't be shy. Be aggressive,' so that's what I did today," added Stone, who went 17-for-29 from the field alongside 13 rebounds and three assists.

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