Feuding officials steal thunder from vengeful Converge win over NorthPort
A heated exchange between two officials linked by a stalled negotiation took the spotlight from a crucial game on Wednesday.
The beef between Converge assistant coach Danny Ildefonso and NorthPort, initially limited to an exchange of innuendos stemming to a contract dispute, almost turned physical following their rematch in the PBA Governors’ Cup group stage.
As the two teams were doing the postgame handshake following the FiberXers’ vengeful 102-94 victory over the Batang Pier at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Ildefonso got into a heated commotion with the latter’s team governor, Erick Arejola.
Eyewitnesses said the two didn’t observe the customary gesture, prompting Ildefonso to utter some words at Arejola as the two crossed paths for the second time. A smiling Arejola quickly turned back to confront Ildefonso that prompted cooler heads from both sides to intervene.
“It obviously stemmed from their recent history,” a member from one of the teams said.
Both Arejola and Ildefonso refrained from making comments as they left the venue, but the two sides have been at odds since an impasse involving NorthPort and its fifth round pick in the PBA Rookie Draft, Ildefonso’s son Dave.
NorthPort and the younger Ildefonso, who entered the proceedings after spending time playing in South Korea, couldn’t come to terms on the details of the former Ateneo standout’s rookie contract after being selected in July.
‘Farm team’
Initially, the contract stalemate was only revealed in passing by NorthPort coach Bonnie Tan during the PBA Media Day, but things simmered when Ildefonso called the Batang Pier a “farm team,” in response to a netizen criticizing his son.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial later slapped Ildefonso a P20,000 fine, but the comments fueled NorthPort in the first meeting of the two squads, defeating Converge, 135-109, on Aug. 29 behind Arvin Tolentino’s career-high 51 points.
Their return match appeared to be heading toward another NorthPort win, and another reason to get one up anew on Ildefonso when the Batang Pier came back to take a 92-84 lead in the fourth quarter behind a determined import Venky Jois.
But Converge denied NorthPort that chance, and Alec Stockton and the improving Schonny Winston knocked down key shots while making stops at the other end to create a tie between brewing rivals for fourth in Group A at 3-4.
Tolentino heated up in the fourth after a pedestrian first three quarters, but committed a pair of turnovers late that hastened NorthPort’s doom.
The loss may serve as a blow for NorthPort, which now faces three teams on top of the group in Meralco (Saturday), TNT (Sept. 20) and Magnolia (Sept. 22).
Converge still has winless Terrafirma (Saturday) on tap, followed by Meralco (Sept. 18) and Magnolia (Sept. 23).
Whoever may sneak into the quarters by the end of the group stage may have another reason to gain more bragging rights between the feuding parties. INQ
