Distractions have come aplenty in San Miguel-TNT series

For the second consecutive Sunday, off-court incidents involving the San Miguel Beermen and TNT Tropang 5G have overshadowed the action in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa criticized San Miguel players Jericho Cruz and Chris Ross as "arrogant" following the Beermen's 105-91 Game 4 win, which put TNT facing elimination down 3-1 in the series while dealing with significant injuries.

Lastimosa took issue with Cruz's on-court celebrations, particularly a dribbling move mimicking streetball style performed against Almond Vosotros with 15 seconds left in the game. He stated Cruz was "showboating" ("Dinandaan na lang sa yabang lahat") and claimed the player "has problems" that he was bringing onto the court, viewing his behavior as disrespectful given the circumstances.

Lastimosa also confronted Chris Ross after Ross approached injured TNT center Poy Erram, who played through a swollen right ankle and left knee pain, to console him and express respect post-game. Lastimosa gestured for Ross to leave and later called him "not a nice guy," accusing him of being a "complainer" who taunted the TNT bench and supporters. Ross defended himself on social media, stating Lastimosa had "no clue who I am As a person" and that he only intended to show respect for Erram's effort.