Three members of Converge were slapped with hefty fines after making inappropriate gesture during their sudden-death quarterfinal battle against Barangay Ginebra late last month.

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Willie Marcial said they slapped players Justine Baltazar and Mark Denver Omega as well as assistant coach Humperdinck Dimatulac P20,000 each for displaying a “cooking” gesture during the crucial stretch of their 98-99 loss to the Kings.

Marcial said they are preserving the integrity of the league and such action have no place in local professional sports.

“They apologized for their actions,” the PBA chief said.

“They only did it because they were carried away by their emotions.”

Baltazar, Omega and Dimatulac showed their displeasure with the way the game was officiated, prompting them to display a “cooking” gesture, which suggests that the game is being rigged.

Dimatulac even had a confrontation with Ginebra fans in which he was caught on social media suggesting that there is a manipulation of the match that could have sent them to the best-of-seven semifinals series against topseed San Miguel Beer.

The game, however, ended in dramatic fashion as Stephen Holt knocked down a three-pointer at the buzzer that doomed the semifinal chances of the FiberXers despite enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage.

Marcial said the FiberXers promised not to do it again.

“I told them not to do it again, especially their assistant coach (Dimatulac), whom I advised never to provoke the fans again,” Marcial added.