Tim Cone Apologizes to Alaska for San Mig Coffee Walkout

San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone took to Twitter to apologize to the Alaska Aces and coach Luigi Trillo for his team’s walkout in their tuneup game on Tuesday.

“No big deal. We asked to halt the practice game. We weren’t ready to play. My fault in scheduling it,” wrote Cone on his Twitter account.

He added that the ejection of Jerwin Gaco was not the reason for his decision to have the game halted.

“It was more about the fear of injury to our key guys than the call. We’re not in shape yet and guys were cramping. Again, my fault,” added Cone.

Cone asked the tuneup to be stopped in the third quarter shortly after Gaco was called for a flagrant foul for elbowing Eddie Laure. Trillo told InterAKTV that the call was justified.

San Miguel Corporation official Noli Eala earlier claimed that the call was the reason for the stoppage.

“Alaska-San Mig Coffee game stopped because of another bad call by refs,” wrote Eala on his Twitter account.

-InterAKTV

Alaska Aces , Jerwin Gaco , PBA , San Mig Coffee Mixers , Tim Cone

San Mig Coffee Walked Out of its Tuneup Match against Alaska

It turns out that coffee and milk don’t always make for a perfect combination.

San Mig Coffee walked out of its tuneup match against Alaska on Tuesday at the Reyes Gym after Mixers coach Tim Cone disagreed with a call by the referees.

The Aces were leading 63-50 in the third quarter when San Mig Coffee forward Jerwin Gaco was thrown out of the game for warding off with his elbow against Alaska’s Eddie Laure. Cone vehemently protested the call before leading his team out of the court.

“Cone proceeds to Alaska bench, shakes hands of Aces coaching staff. Tapos ang laro,” wrote veteran journalist Dennis Principe on his Twitter account, where he provided updates on the game.

Cone refused to take calls by InterAKTV on the matter.

Alaska coach Luigi Trillo, meanwhile, said the call on Gaco was correct, saying that it really was flagrant.

It marked the second straight day with a tuneup game involving a PBA team being halted. On Monday, a tuneup game between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Qatar national team was stopped after an altercation between Kerby Raymundo and a Qatari center.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Alaska Aces , Jerwin Gaco , San Mig Coffee Mixers , Tim Cone

San Mig Coffee Tougher and Bigger

San Mig Coffee picked up three big men to shore up its frontline in last month’s PBA draft. But beyond adding ceiling, coach Tim Cone hopes the three men could also provide toughness to the team

The Mixers have signed first-round pick Aldrech Ramos and second-round choice Jewel Ponferrada. Their third-round draftee, 6-foot-9 Gian Chiu, could also get a deal.

“Aldrech is a big man who can step out and shoot while Jewel is a tough kid,” said Cone, adding that the team learned lessons from its setback against Rain or Shine in the Governors’ Cup finals. The Elasto Painters, who won in seven games, imposed its physical style on the the team then known as the B-MEG Llamados, who preferred a more finesse style of play.

On his interest in Chiu, Cone pointed to the old adage: you can’t teach height.

“I don’t know yet where Gian Chiu should come in, but he’s a project player and I think it would be worth it developing a 6-foot-9 project player,” said the coach.

The rookie trio would bolster an already impressive San Mig Coffee frontline that also includes Marc Pingris, Yancy De Ocampo, Rafi Reavis, Jerwin Gaco, and Mike Burtscher. The Mixers are also bracing for the return of versatile forward Joe Devance.

New addition, returning players

Another new addition to San Mig Coffee practice was Chris Pacana, who spent the past season with the Westports Malaysia Dragons in the ASEAN Basketball League.

“He will come in and play the wing position for us,” Cone said. “He will not play point guard because we already have too many point guards in our team.”

Val Acuna, whom the team traded away on draft day to GlobalPort, is also back with San Mig Coffee. He currently serves as a practice player for the squad.

“We cannot sign him [as a regular player],” said Cone, who explained that PBA rules prohibit players from returning to the team that traded him during the season.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Aldrech Ramos , Gian Chiu , Jewel Ponferrada , PBA , San Mig Coffee Mixers , Tim Cone