By REYNALD MAGALLON
Juan Gomez de Liano expressed his gratitude to the Converge coaching staff after allowing him to chase after a historic debut when he recorded a rare triple-double in the FiberXers 129-92 romp of Titan Ultra.
The 25-year-old rookie who had previous stints overseas scattered 15 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds – the first ever statline for a rookie on his PBA debut in league history.
De Liano said the opportunity to record the rare feat presented itself late in the contest so he asked the FiberXers staff if he can continue playing – a request to which new Converge head coach Dennis Pineda willingly obliged.
“Towards late in the game, I was informed that I needed like a couple of rebounds and assists. And I asked the coaches if I could just play the game. And I’m glad they allowed me,” said Gomez de Liano.
Gomez de Liano completed the feat with 1:48 left in the game after grabbing a rebound off a Damie Cuntapay miss.
Pineda, despite agreeing to field De Liano, admitted that he was a bit worried of the extended playing time of his prized rookie.
“Nagwo-worry nga ako doon sa oras niya. Pero hiningi niya sa akin ito, kaya binigay ko lang. Nice game naman. Masaya kaming lahat,” said the concurrent Pampanga vice governor.
Still it was a debut to remember for Gomez De Liano, especially that it was not only him who had a good game but also the rest of the FiberXers.
Six players finished in double-figures with Justin Arana also notching a 20-20 double-double with his 28 points and 22 rebounds.
“It’s not a bad way to start my PBA career especially Gov’s first win as a head coach. As Gov said just enjoy the game, everyone gets their chance to play the game the right way,” said Gomez de Liano.
