The Philippine Basketball Association has penalized Bay Area players Myles Powell and Hayden Blankley for their comments following the Dragons’ loss to Barangay Ginebra in Game 3 of the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Wednesday night.
Commissioner Willie Marcial slapped Powell a P100,000 fine, while Blankley must shell out P75,000 after the two criticized the officiating moments after the Dragons’ 89-82 defeat to the Gin Kings.
The two expressed their grievances on social media, with the 22-year-old Blankley saying that it was “obvious” and “cooked” as he asked for a “fair game.”
“Got nothing but love and respect for the Philippines and its people, but at this point it’s obvious, just let it be a fair game, please. As the locals would say — it’s cooked,” said Blankley
Powell wrote on Twitter, commenting on the discrepancy of free throws between the two teams.
“Y’all saying we shot 21 free throws in Game 2 & y’all only shot 5 proves exactly my point,” he tweeted, “something ain’t right clearly the refs making the difference between who wins or not when it should just be a fair called game.”
Marcial clarified he did not summon Bay Area coach Brian Goorjian, who refused to comment about the officiating in Game 3 when asked by reporters, although his body language indicated his frustration.
