PBA: Nabong only 'trying to protect my players' in scuffle with ROS | ABS-CBN

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PBA: Nabong only 'trying to protect my players' in scuffle with ROS

PBA: Nabong only 'trying to protect my players' in scuffle with ROS

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

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Kelly Nabong was thrown out with 3:20 left in their game against Rain or Shine. Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports

MANILA, Philippines – GlobalPort big man Kelly Nabong insists he only wanted to protect his teammates when he jumped into the fray during a struggle for the ball against Rain or Shine, further escalating an already testy contest.

With Rain or Shine holding on to an 84-79 lead with 3:20 left to play, Beau Belga managed to gain possession while on the floor, and subsequently called for a timeout. GlobalPort's Sean Anthony tried to take the ball, leading Maverick Ahanmisi to get involved. Nabong then joined the fracas, which nearly devolved into an all-out brawl.

"I wasn't even in the scuffle," Nabong admitted after the game. "It's more of protection."

"My teammates were on the ground, trying to get a jump ball. My teammates were trying to get up, and little point guard pushed my player back on the ground," he added.

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"Me as a big man, I'm trying to protect my players. I'm not here to start fights. I'm here to end them and protect my players."

Nabong ended up getting thrown out of the game, along with Ahanmisi. Four other players – including three Batang Pier players – were given technical fouls.

The big man, who finished with 13 points, was clearly irate with Ahanmisi, whom he accused of pushing Anthony as the GlobalPort forward was trying to get up.

"The play is over with," Nabong pointed out. "Why would you push another player on the ground, when you already got the foul?"

"I'm gonna protect my team, my players, my coaches, management," he said emphatically. "I don't start fights. I end them, and protect."

Nabong's absence was clearly crucial, as he had hit a three-pointer earlier in the fourth quarter that helped the Batang Pier crawl their way back from a 10-point deficit.

However, Nabong believes that officials should never have let the contest reach such a boiling point.

"They should have called the game a little bit tighter," he said. "But at the end of the day, they called it a flagrant and kicked me out."

"I can't do nothing about it now," he added. "Game's over. We lost, and we'll try to move on to the next game."

GlobalPort dropped to 3-3 with the loss.

For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.

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