Daily Tribune‘Whenever you have an import and the other side doesn’t, that’s a huge advantage but still we weren’t able to control the game in that third quarter and it took us almost late in the fourth quarter to really take control.’
ALEX Stockton of Converge attacks the defense of Rain or Shine import Deon Thompson during their PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals game last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The FiberXers won, 130-118.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PBA
Converge is now knocking on the door of a breakthrough semifinals appearance.
The FiberXers overhauled a 17-point deficit and took advantage of Rain or Shine losing import Deon Thompson fouling out in the third quarter to engineer a 130-118 victory in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup best-of-three quarterfinals series opener Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Converge turned things around early in the third period when Thompson was slapped with his sixth foul after his foot got in the way of FiberXers reinforcement Cheick Diallo’s landing spot.
Diallo sank his two free throws, sparking a 9-0 run for an 81-73 advantage.
The Elasto Painters managed to keep it close, trailing by only three by the end of the third period only to get outscored by Converge, 31-22, in the final canto.
“That’s big in an import conference,” head coach Franco Atienza said of the big break the FiberXers got in Thompson’s exit.
“Whenever you have an import and the other side doesn’t, that’s a huge advantage but still we weren’t able to control the game in that third quarter and it took us almost late in the fourth quarter to really take control.”
Diallo led the way with 35 points on 12-of-18 field goal shooting and grabbed 17 rebounds for Converge.
Justin Arana held his own in the painted area submitting 22 markers while Jordan Heading finished with 21 points, nine assists, three rebounds, two blocks and one steal for an all-around performance for the FiberXers. Schonny Winston added 17 points while rookie Justine Baltazar and Alec Stockton scored 13 each.
Denied of advancing to the semis the previous four times they tried including a sorry defeat in the season-opening Governors’ Cup at the hands of San Miguel Beer in five games, the FiberXers can close it out on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“You have to put it in context, it’s a series so this game means nothing if we can’t close it out,” Atienza said.
Just like in their elims meeting, Converge had a rusty start and went behind, 17-34, and were down 26-39 at the end of the first quarter.
The FiberXers restored order in the second period when it outgunned Rain or Shine, 38-23, to enter the halftime break with a 64-62 advantage.
Caelan Tiongson paced the Elasto Painters with 23 points while Anton Asistio and Adrian Nocum scored 14 each.
Thompson left the game with 14 markers and six boards for Rain or Shine, who also lost to Converge in the elims after squandering a 17-point lead.
The scores:
CONVERGE (130) — Diallo 35, Arana 22, Heading 21, Winston 17, Stockton 13, Baltazar 13, Delos Santos 4, Santos 3, Racal 2, Ambohot 0.
RAIN OR SHINE (118) — Tiongson 23, Asistio 14, Nocum 14, Thompson 14, Datu 12, Clarito 10, Ildefonso 9, Caracut 8, Lemetti 6, Belga 5, Santillan 3.
Quarters: 26-39, 64-62, 99-96, 130-118.
