Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao branded Meralco forward Cliff Hodge as the “dirtiest player in the league” following a scary collision with Elasto Painters’ Adrian Nocum in the third quarter of their Group B match in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors’ Cup.

The fiery mentor called out Hodge after his prized guard got hurt while attempting a layup in Rain or Shine’s 85-83 escape for a fourth straight victory on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We had some anxious moments with Adrian. Again, it’s Cliff Hodge. There are far too many incidents like this involving Cliff Hodge,” Guiao said.

“He is the dirtiest player in the league, I think, the league should look into that. He is a danger to the other players in the league. His record speaks for itself,” he added.

Hodge and Nocum banged knees with 4:06 left in the third canto, with the Elasto Painters protecting a four-point lead. Both players went down writhing in pain and were assisted back to their respective benches.

The Bolts player was assessed with an unsportsmanlike foul and Guiao felt Hodge’s action was intentional.

“He extended his leg there. That was the reason he was called for an unsportsmanlike foul. There have been many incidents like that which I think cause danger to the players,” Guiao added.

“There’s always been a lot of situations and incidents that Hodge is involved. I think he’s a danger to his fellow players.”

After the game, Hodge shrugged off Guiao’s tirade and knew the Rain or Shine tactician never really liked him anyway.

“I mean, I play basketball, I do what I do on the court. I go home and enjoy my family life. That’s it,” the 38-year-old Hodge said.

“I don’t take anything personally on the court. And I mean, Coach Yeng always hasn’t liked me.”

Hodge and Guiao have had their share of spats, with the most infamous happening back in 2014.

In the heat of the moment, Guiao confronted Hodge and threw a “mongoloid slur” against the then-Meralco sophomore, who hit former Elasto Painter center Raymond Almazan with a closed fist during Game 2 of their 2014 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals showdown.

Guiao was slapped with a P100,000 fine by the league and apologized for his words but also stated that his apology “is not extended to Cliff Hodge.”

Meralco management, on the other hand, issued a statement on Monday condemning Guiao’s labeling of Hodge as uncalled for.

“We therefore take very strong exception to the unfair, unfounded, and unprofessional statement that the head coach of Rain or Shine, coach Yeng Guiao uttered in public during his post-game interview against our player Mr. Cliff Hodge, whom he unjustly maligned in public by calling him ‘the dirtiest player in the PBA,’” the Bolts wrote.

Meralco added that the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Defensive Team member plays with energy and passion, and that his actions on the court should not be taken against him.

“In the play involving Nocum, Cliff simply stepped in to try to draw a charge in a defensive stance position. The contact was incidental and should not be misconstrued as a dirty play,” Meralco said.