SHOULD PLAYERS of a team with a huge lead refrain from showy scoring during the dying seconds of the game out of respect for their losing opponents?
The so-called unwritten rule in basketball sparked debates after Ateneo head coach Louie Alas irately reacted to UP Fighting Maroons guard Jacob Bayla’s late-game dunk to seal the victory last Nov. 7
Bayla did the flashy move with 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock and the state-run university ahead by six.
Following UP’s 82-74 victory, Alas apologized for his outburst, but cited a similar incident between UST Growling Tigers and the FEU Tamaraws to justify his reaction.
In the dying seconds of the match last Oct. 14, Tigers center Collins Akowe threw down a slam despite the score disparity, but immediately apologized to FEU coach Sean Chambers afterward.
Asked to react to the so-called unwritten rule, the Nigerian center shared a view similar to that of Bayla, believing players should do what they are supposed to do until the final buzzer.
“At the end of the day, it’s basketball, just like Bayla said… Unspoken rule, unwritten rule, [play] until the final buzzer,” Akowe told The Flame.
Alas has been slapped with a two-game suspension, which will coincide with Ateneo’s matchup against the Tigers on Nov. 15.
The Tigers will next face the UE Red Warriors on Wednesday, Nov. 11. at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. F
