Dennis Gaviola

San Miguel Beermen head coach Leo Austria during a huddle in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals. Photo from PBA Images.

Article (news)

San Miguel Beermen head coach Leo Austria  

Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752421383011IMG_7392.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="San Miguel Beermen head coach Leo Austria during a huddle in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals. Photo from PBA Images."/>San Miguel Beermen head coach Leo Austria during a huddle in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals. Photo from PBA Images.</div>MANILA — The San Miguel Beermen absorbed a loss in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals in controversial fashion.The Beermen, who crawled back from a 24-point deficit, were ahead 98-87 with only 13 seconds left in the contest following a Mo Tautuaa basket at the 56-second mark.Unfortunately for SMB, during this deadball — one that was a result of a jump ball between TNT Tropang 5G’s Jordan Heading and Chris Ross — Tautuaa’s deuce was nullified and deemed as a basket interference.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/7/13/pba-hot-shooting-tnt-survives-san-miguel-s-4th-quarter-surge-to-draw-first-blood-2157">READ: Hot-shooting TNT survives San Miguel’s 4th quarter surge to draw first blood</a></div>“Regarding the rules, we don’t know kung ano yung pinagbabatayan natin, but yung napansin ko, they stopped the game because of jump ball, but hindi na lang itinuloy yung jump ball,” commented Beermen head coach Leo Austria on this sequence. “That is my question.”However, that is only a part of Austria’s sentiments on the game.“Right now, we’re disappointed because the effort was put to waste. It was a nice game, but the beauty of the game ay nawala,” said the former Adamson University mentor.San Miguel rallied from down 24 by scoring 19 unanswered points in the fourth, and for Austria, this run was tarnished by the decision of the referees in the end game.“The effort of the players, we have to reward it, and we have to do something about it,” he said.Moving forward, the multi-titled coach revealed that they are still mulling whether they will be officially filing a protest or not.“Our management is trying to clear everything about that ‘goaltending.’ If there is a technicality, I think we’ll file a protest,” he said.“If it is according to the rules, so be it, but they have to review it. I keep on talking about this incident, but what if it’s in the last shot? If we were leading, then all of a sudden, we’d be down by one point.”“Pinag-uusapan namin, and we still have until noon tomorrow, but right now, we’re still trying to analyze,” he added.As for his players, this was Austria’s challenge for them ahead of Game 2: “Let us be motivated by this incident.”

The San Miguel Beermen absorbed a loss in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals in controversial fashion.

The San Miguel Beermen absorbed a loss in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals in controversial fashion.

Austria on controversial call against SMB: ‘The beauty of the game ay nawala’

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Austria on controversial call against SMB: ‘The beauty of the game ay nawala’

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 14, 2025 12:07 AM PHT

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