Basketball: Baldwin lashes out at incompetent officials

By MURRAY MCKINNON

Auckland basketball coach Tab Baldwin took a swipe at officialdom yesterday after his side's narrow loss in extra time to the Nelson Giants.

In a game befitting the finals, Nelson captain Nenad Vucinic claimed a three-point shot in the dying seconds of regulation time to tie the battle up at 94-all.

With a minute remaining in the extra five minutes of play, Rebel Sport Auckland led 100-99.

Then man-of-the-match Pero Cameron slotted away one of two from the free-throw line, but Nelson responded with two baskets in quick succession from Judd Flavell and James Hamilton to lead 103-101.

The remaining three seconds of play saw the officials in complete disarray.

Nelson claimed Baldwin had called a timeout before Bryan Christiansen had been fouled going for a lay-up to bring the score to 103-all.

After much discussion with the score bench, the referees, Jamie Hickey and Ken Coulson, upheld the claim and instead of a shot from the free throw, Auckland were left with two seconds and the impossible task of trying to score from the other end of the court.

Nelson won 103-101 to give them second place in the national league with nine wins.

Waikato are next with eight wins and Auckland are now locked with Wellington and Palmerston North for the fourth playoff spot with seven wins.

An irate Baldwin said it was time he complained about the level of officiating.

"We didn't deserve to lose that game. There was frustration out there."

He said it was up to the league to fix the situation.

"The people involved, and that includes the score benches, don't do it for a living, whereas the players and coaches are professionals.

"It makes it difficult to play - and it has been like that for 10 years. The players and coaches become very frustrated."

Baldwin, who has guided Auckland to four national titles in the past five years, said he is loath to complain because reputations are on the line.

"A lot of coaches have kept their mouths shut, but Jeff Green has made it known and nothing has happened [to him]," he added.

Nelson coach Bill Dahlberg said the game virtually needs three officials.

"There is a need for three referees, to be able to see everything. The players are taller and the referees shorter, and it is difficult in the tall forest of players to call the game correctly."

Baldwin said the game, in which Auckland led 48-41 at halftime, was another chapter in the Nelson-Auckland battles.

"Two teams desperate to win, fighting it out tooth and nail. I give Nelson a lot of credit, but we played well enough to win."

James Hamilton top-scored for Nelson with 31 points and Tony Rampton was outstanding with 20 points.

For Auckland, Cameron finished with 28 points and Christiansen 25.

As expected, Palmerston North beat Canterbury 79-73 and Wellington thrashed beat Hawkes Bay 129-78.

Auckland face another challenge at home on Wednesday from the Waikato Warriors.