JUAN FOR THE ROAD

Converge did its assignment by putting the cuffs on Rain or Shine import Aaron Fuller.

Juan Gomez de Liaño then took care of offense as the FiberXers blew out Rain or Shine, 105-89, in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors’ Cup best-of-five quarterfinals on Tuesday at the City of Dasmarinas Arena in Cavite.

The sensational rookie guard exploded for 19 points on 7-of-14 field goal shooting, including a killer four-pointer that pushed Converge’s advantage to 19 with 1:49 left that signaled the Elasto Painters’ surrender.

Gomez de Liaño added 13 rebounds and six assists in the FiberXers’ second straight win after yielding the series opener.

Defense also played a major role in the victory as Converge held the usually prolific Rain or Shine reinforcement to conference-low four points in a hellish 2-of-11 field goal shooting.

“I think it all boils down to preparation. Throughout the game, we played composed. We stayed locked in to the small details that really mattered. I think we really emphasized a lot on our defense. I give credit to the team for that,” Gomez de Liaño said after the series’ first lopsided result following a close first two games.

Cameron Clark was in early foul trouble but still managed to stay in the game to submit 18 points, five boards and five assists for Converge. Justin Baltazar added 15 points, Calvin Abueva had a double-double of 13 markers and 10 rebounds while Jonnel Policarpio added 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

The FiberXers will go for the jugular on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for the franchise’s first-ever semifinals stint since joining the league in 2022.

Converge head coach Delta Pineda lauded his team’s discipline of sticking to their game plan of slowing down the tempo and not falling into Rain or Shine’s running game.

“We tried to slow-brake the third quarter. We didn’t want to play to their up-tempo game. So, we needed to control the offense and play defense,” he said.

The FiberXers erased a 56-64 third quarter deficit with a telling run to enter payoff period with a seven-point separation.

Converge controlled the fourth quarter and erected its biggest lead at 20 after a Gomez de Liaño jumper for a 101-81 count with 3:56 left.

As expected after splitting the first two games, the first half turned into a tight tug-of-war as Rain or Shine and Converge measured each other up with caution.

No team led by more than five points in the opening half, with the game knotted at 32 after the first quarter.

A Mike Malonzo layup shattered a 51-51 deadlock with 1:11 to put the Elasto Painters up with 1:28 left. Justin Arana’s split from the foul line cut Rain or Shine’s advantage to a solitary point heading into the halftime break.

Fuller, who averaged 29.5 points in the first two games of the series, was scoreless in the second and third quarters, going 0-of-6.

Felix Lemetti-Pangilinan had 18 points, Caelan Tiongson and Deo Cuajao scored 16 each while Adrian Nocum saw his triple-double of 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists go down the drain for the Elasto Painters.