NLEX big man Asi Taulava nearly hit San Miguel's David Semerad with a slap during their emotional encounter in the PBA Governor's Cup on Friday, July 22.
In the third quarter of the game, Semerad hit NLEX's import Bill Walker prompting the Filipino-Tongan to confront the Beerman.
After seeing Semerad hit Walker, the bulky Road Warriors center bumped the chest of the sophomore SMB before attempting a slap that almost reached Semerad's face.
“I got to defend my money man,” Taulava said of their import. “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,” added Taulava.
Taulava and Semarad were each called for a technical foul after the confrontation.
“Sometimes it comes with a tech, but I thought for sure I was going to get ejected,” Taulava admitted. “I tried to go over and push him away and ended up slapping him. Thank, God, my hand was open.”
“It's part of the game,” he added. “But I'm sure he doesn't want to take it farther than that. I'm a nice guy but I just gotta defend my teammates. I gotta be big brother to everybody else.”
Semerad politely refused an interview after the game.
Taulava said getting a technical is not an issue so long as he's able to defend his 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.”
Photo: Spin.ph
Source: ABS-CBN
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