NLEX big man Asi Taulava nearly hit San Miguel's David Semerad with a slap during their highly emotional encounter in the PBA Governors' Cup on Friday.

Semerad hit NLEX’s import Bill Walker in the third quarter, prompting the Fil-Tongan to confront the Beerman.

“I got to defend my money man,” Taulava said of their import in Spin.ph. “I can’t let him get hurt and let anybody bully him or try to get under his skin. Me and Rico [Villanueva] told him that If anybody tries to hit him, don’t get into a technical because we need him in the game.”

“That’s our job: to bully the other guys who try to bully him,” aid the bulky center.

Taulava and Semerad were each whistled a technical after the confrontation.

San Miguel won the game after Marcio Lassiter's go-ahead triple that secured a 94-93 victory for the Beermen.

The Fil-Tongan said he doesn’t mind getting a technical for defending a teammate.

“I've always been overprotective of my teammates,” the veteran slotman said. “That brings out the best of my teammates, they know we got guys like me and Rico behind them, he will play hard and he will know guys will be there for him.”

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