Games today:
(Ynares Center-Montalban)
5:15 p.m. — Phoenix vs Titan Ultra
7:30 p.m. — NLEX vs Magnolia
Import Ali Mubashar caught fire in the second half and dropped 50 big points to power Terrafirma past Converge, 111-100, in overtime for back-to-back wins and the solo lead in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Saturday night at the Ynares Center-Montalban.
Huffing, puffing and limping in extended minutes of play, Mubashar scored 39 of his points in the second half and in extra period in a monster performance despite fasting in observance of Ramadan.
The 7-foot Finnish center shot 20-of-36 from the field, including seven triples, and grabbed 25 rebounds with three blocks, two assists and a steal for the Dyip, who kept the FiberXers scoreless in overtime.
“None of this will be possible if not for these guys right here,” said Mubashar, deflecting the credit to his teammates.
Mubashar sent the game into extension with a quick layup off a perfect inbound pass from Maverick Ahanmisi in a well-drawn play off a timeout with 16.6 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 100. He then scored six of Terrafirma’s 11 points in the extension, capped by barreling through traffic and sinking a tough layup for the backbreaker, 111-100, with 2:03 left.
Jerrick Ahanmisi had 14 points to backstop Mubashar and Paolo Hernandez added 13 points. Top overall pick Geo Chiu did his part of holding the fort in the shaded area against the twin towers of Converge in Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana as he finished with nine points and 13 rebounds.
“This is a team effort not just Ali,” Dyip head coach Ronald Tubid said.
“When the game went down into overtime. We told them that we’re playing OK but we need to work the extra mile, extra five minutes and the win went our way.”
Mubashar nailed a three-pointer that gave Terrafirma a 98-96 lead with 1:44 left in the fourth period. Converge regained the advantage off an and-one play by Archie Concepcion.
The Dyip went empty-handed in the next possession after missing four attempts, including back-to-back point-blank shots from Chiu. Rookie Juan Gomez de Liano split his charities on the other end for a 100-98 advantage by the FiberXers with 17.9 seconds left in regulation.
It was tight for both teams in the early goings of the first half before Converge created room toward the end of the second quarter for a 48-40 advantage at the break.
Kylor Kelley led the FiberXers, who slipped to a 1-1 win-loss record, with 17 points, 22 rebounds and six assists, Gomez De Liano added 17 points while Alec Stockton and Baltazar had 15 and 13 points, respectively.