Ranidel de Ocampo (left) clings on to Bryan Feghali after the Lebanese had a run-in with Arwind Santos (shown being pacified by Asi Taulava, a referee, and a Lebanese player) during a scrimmage yesterday at the Moro Lorenzo gym in Ateneo. (MARK BALMORES)

A near-fight and slippery floor conditions conspired on Saturday to deny Powerade-Team Pilipinas valuable two quarters worth of lessons three days before it leaves for the 25th FIBA Asia World Championship in Tianjin, China on August 4.

Barely into the third quarter, Lebanese coach Dragan Raca and RP team mentor Yeng Guiao agreed it would be unsafe to keep a scheduled scrimmage going.

The closed-door practice game came to an abrupt halt after Arwind Santos and Dallas-born Brian Feghali came to blows with the Middle East squad comfortably ahead, 48-34.

Rain-induced slippery conditions at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center in Quezon City hastened the cancellation of the tuneup game.

Raca, a Yugoslav based in Cyrus, walked over to Guiao – after recent addition Daniel Faris slipped and fell hard on the moist floor – and sought his opinion.

On confirmation from game officials, including a Lebanese referee, that both teams risk injury by proceeding, the two coaches called it off.

Guiao appeared disappointed the scrimmage had to be cut short.

“We would’ve wanted to finish it and probably get a better view of the progress of the team. But it happened and it’s beyond our control,” said Guiao, who expressed concern over the Nationals’ continued outside shooting woes.

“We had been shooting well in practice these last few days and I thought we would do better,” he said after watching the RP team fall behind following a good start. “Nobody stepped up.”

Defensively, the Nationals also found themselves deep in the woods, barricaded in pursuit of their men by huge, immovable screens set by the Lebanese, their frontline made even bigger by the addition of 6-foot-10 Matt Freije and the 6-foot-9 Faris, a US NCAA player.

“It’s really tough to get through 200-pound picks and that gave them a lot of good looks,” said Guiao. “We need to find solutions to mismatches in every position.”

The Nationals have two more games left in their week-long break between the William Jones Cup tournament in Taipei and the FIBA Asia, the qualifying tournament to the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Istanbul, before they leave on August 4.

“We’ll practice tomorrow and go through our scouting report on South Korea,” Guiao said. “Then we’ll be lifting weights after another practice on Monday.”

James Yap, son in-law of former President Corazon C. Aquino, who passed away at dawn yesterday, was absent and will be joining his RP teammates Wednesday, the eve of the opening game with Sri Lanka.

Guiao brushed off the altercation that erupted between Santos and Feghali, who drilled five 3-point shots against the Philippines in Taipei.

“Wala naman yon,” he said.

Feghali reacted angrily after getting bumped by Santos inside the paint in front of the Lebanon basket. The Lebanese threw a punch and kicked, missing both times.

“Di siya tumama,” confirmed Santos, who appeared to have connected with a punch and with fingers jabbed at Feghali’s chest.

Players from both teams stepped in and the two eventually shook hands after the practice game was halted.

“The Philippines remains a dangerous team,” said Raca in thickly-accented English. “I think they will play better with every game.”