Alec Stockton best exemplified redemption after leading Converge back to the PBA Philippine Cup win column by beating NorthPort on Friday night.
The budding star finished with a second career-best 33 points, and such a notable performance was mostly predicated on his goal of redeeming himself after that lowly outing against Ginebra in Pampanga the last time out.
“I needed to bounce back from that game against Ginebra, so I’m just grateful we got the W tonight,” he said after their 111-92 win at the Philsports Arena.
Stockton was held to just eight points on 10 shots by the Kings, and his limited production truly hurt the FiberXers, who eventually absorbed an 85-66 whipping.
But the FEU product did not wait to find redemption, pouring it all against a Batang Pier side that continues to struggle without his ex-teammate Arvin Tolentino — easily leading to one of his best games as a pro.
He scored 13 of his output in the second chapter alone to spark the turnaround from a slow start, and went on to finish with his fourth career 30-point outing following a quick check by PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.
Stockton was actually a few points shy of eclipsing his career-high of 36, which he set in a losing effort to San Miguel, 112-103, in last season’s Philippine Cup — coincidentally played also at the venue formerly known as ULTRA.
(C) PBA Images
It was never about racking up the points, though, according to the lanky 6-foot-2 playmaker. Rather, he wanted to ensure that they’d get the victory.
“For me, it’s not really about the points. My shots were going in today and I was getting my rhythm,” said Stockton, who shot 52.4-percent from the floor. “Pero for us it’s really just grinding it out, making sure we come out with the win.”
Now, Converge has set its sights on improving its playoff positioning, with the youth-laden unit now at 5-3 in the conference standings.
“We were able to bounce back this game, but we’re not close to where we want to be,” offered Stockton. “We just want to keep on progressing in terms of trying to make a playoff spot, and then work from there.”
And so he’s no longer basking in his big night, but instead looking to their next game against the 5-1 NLEX set next Friday.
“For sure, they’re a really tough team,” opined the athletic two-way specialist. “We want to be able to prepare for them because knowing that they were able to beat Ginebra, they’re not a team that you can take easier.
“We gotta take it up another notch in our preparations, so we can, hopefully, get another win on the 23rd.”
