Converge FiberXers coach Delta Pineda didn’t leave the playing court right after his team lost to the NLEX Road Warriors on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Instead, he went straight to a referee with whom he had an extended conversation.
The crux of the matter? Pineda was unhappy with the officiating, which he feels contributed immensely to Converge losing a must-win game.
Delta Pineda Laments Foul, Free Throw Disparities
Afterward, Pineda stressed that the FiberXers got the wrong end of the officiating, particularly in the fouls department. This, according to the usually mild-mannered Pineda, made it difficult for his already embattled team to play good defense, specifically in the third quarter.
“Hindi kami maka-depensa, siguro doon ang problema. Kita niyo naman ‘yung diperensya ng tawag—20 is to 4 (fouls),” Pineda rued. “Hirap ‘yung mga bata. Puro foul trouble lahat halos ‘yung mga bata. Third quarter alone, ‘yung free throw na nabigay, ang dami.”
The numbers in that third quarter sure bear out Pineda’s lamentations. In all, the referees called Converge for 10 defensive fouls while calling only 3 on NLEX. The FiberXers also got into penalty at around the midway mark of the third quarter as the Road Warriors ultimately ended up attempting 15 free throws (making 12 of them).
For the game, Converge was called for 33 fouls, while NLEX was whistled for only 14. Unsurprisingly, the Road Warriors attempted a total of 36 free throws (with 28 makes), while the FiberXers shot just 9 (making 5).
Converge Frustration Boils Over
Delta Pineda later admitted his team got frustrated with the whistles, which is why he talked to an official at the end of the game.
“Ni-remind ko lang (referees), please check kung paano ‘yung naging distance ng calls dahil mafu-frustrate ‘yung mga bata,” Pineda added. “Hindi sila makagalaw, the way they play defense, tapos pito. And then opposite side, nag-e-expect ‘yung mga bata. Sinasabi ko na ‘wag na magreklamo. Hindi puwedeng fo-focus kayo na tawagan kayo ng tawagan.”
Again, the numbers seem to bear Delta Pineda’s gripes as legitimate. The calls, indeed, appeared overwhelmingly in NLEX’s favor. Then again, it should be noted that the FiberXers also shot themselves in the foot in that fateful third quarter as they committed 7 turnovers and went only 8-for-21 from the field (and 1-for-7 from the arc). Converge settled for jumpers as well, including a few pull-ups without even moving the ball around.
Between that and the foul disparity, Converge probably didn’t stand a chance against an in-form NLEX. Now, after that debacle, Delta Pineda and his FiberXers can start some soul-searching ahead of next PBA conference.
