‘Spur of the moment’: Adamson’s Racela, La Salle’s Phillips clear air on verbal tussle

Adamson head coach Nash Racela (left) and La Salle big man Mike Phillips (right)

(UAAP Media Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — La Salle big man Mike Phillips stressed that there is “no harm or foul” on his side, following an exchange of words with Adamson head coach Nash Racela Wednesday.

The Soaring Falcons squeaked past the Green Archers, 61-60, on Wednesday, breathing life to Adamson’s Final Four hopes, while sending La Salle to its third straight defeat in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.

But Phillips and Racela were caught in a heated moment in the third quarter, shoving each other and trading words with 45.5 seconds left in the frame.

It happened as Vhoris Marasigan hit the floor after a collision with Manu Anabo.

Racela was caught by the broadcast pointing at Phillips, and saying “bastos e.”

After the game, the coach said Phillips told him, “tumahimik ka muna, coach.”

“Yun ang laman ng sinabi niya. So parang… I was really surprised because he talks a lot about God. And then all of a sudden, lumabas yun sa bibig niya,” he told reporters.

“But I understand. That’s a spur-of-the-moment thing. Emotion niya siguro yun. So, maybe he felt that’s what they needed to get the victory. If ever, I don't know if he was wrong during that time or not. But if ever he was, then I'm sure he will realize that,” he added.

“And he has his Lord to ask forgiveness for. Lahat naman tayo pinapatawad ng Panginoon kapag nagkakamali tayo.”

Phillips, for his part, said that it “wasn’t really anything malicious or anything.”

“For me, I just kind of had a little bit of flashbacks. Anytime a player falls down, I kind of flashback to Kean [Baclaan] screaming. My first instinct was just to look after him. I'm sure there was no harm on any side,” the center said in a separate interview.

Baclaan injured his knee earlier in the season and was ruled out after tearing his MCL last month in a game against the University of the East Red Warriors.

“I got a lot of respect for Coach Nash. I'm sure it was just a spur of the moment thing. It's also not all on him. I'm sure I have my fault as well, but I'm sure that's just part of the game. No harm or foul on my side. I got a lot of respect for him and really how they really played today,” he added.

Phillips reportedly denied telling Racela to be quiet.

The two teams traded leads in the fourth quarter. La Salle had the upper hand, 53-52, in the middle part of the final period, before Adamson unleashed a 9-2 run to go up, 61-55.

Jacob Cortez and Earl Abadam sliced the deficit to one, 60-61, and Adamson opened a small window of opportunity with a turnover, but Abadam’s game-winning triple attempt missed as the clock melted.

Adamson, which was a loss away from eliminations, is now alive and well with a 6-7 win-loss record. La Salle, on the other hand, dropped to 6-6, at solo fourth.