ANTIPOLO – Converge aced the test handed out by TNT by way of a 100-94 decision to post back-to-back wins for the first time in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, Sunday night at the Ynares Center here.
The FiberXers sprinted to 23-8 lead to open the match and sat comfortably in the driver’s seat until the Tropang 5G fought back with a 30-point third-quarter barrage, but finished strongly in the fourth to not waste their good start.
“For a young team like ours, malaking bagay ganitong close game, ‘yung ganitong nasusubok how we fight adversity. At ang ganda na nalusutan namin ito,” said interim head coach Franco Atienza as his side improved to 3-2.
(C) PBA images
Main man Justin Arana top-scored in the victory with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Meanwhile, rookie Justine Baltazar delivered 21 & 12 as the frontcourt duo took turns causing damage to the reigning conference champions.
Most especially down the stretch, in the face of their foes’ fightback that saw the latter cut the gap to 86-79 after a Kelly Williams trey with 5:27 to go.
‘Balti’ sank a short hook first, before Arana hit a hoop amid a foul. Then the 2024 no. 1 pick scored off a tip-in for a mini 6-0 run toward a 92-79 lead with 4:06 left.
TNT still tried to muster one last rally, but Baltazar and veteran winger Kevin Racal came through with key conversions to keep the opposition at bay.
“Naging ready lang kami. Alam namin na malakas ang TNT at kailangan namin takbuhan, kailangan namin maging aggressive,” said Baltazar, who earned Best Player of the Game honors after a strong second-half showing.
Alec Stockton and Deschon Winston supplied 19 points apiece in the win that made Converge all the more excited for their next outing as they will face Rain or Shine on Wednesday, April 30, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Set for a 5:00 PM tip-off, the crew can’t wait to get back at the same team that booted them out of contention in the last Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
“Isa pa, hawig nito yung next game namin. Ito yung team na nag-knock out sa amin last conference. And we look forward to this game,” said Atienza as they’re facing a team thats riding on a two-game winning streak.
Wasted by the loss, on the other hand, was the 33-point effort of Calvin Oftana to lead TNT, which absorbed its second loss in as many games.
(C) PBA images
Roger Pogoy scored 15 points, Rey Nambatac scored 12, and Poy Erram fell short of a double-double with nine points and 11 boards in the defeat.
The Tropang 5G will have a chance to pick up win No. 1 of the conference when they take on Phoenix on Friday, May 2, at the Ynares Center II in Montalban.
The Scores:
Converge 100 – Arana 22, Baltazar 21, Winston 19, Stockton 19, Garcia 6, Racal 5, Suerte 4, Nermal 2, B. Santos 2, Delos Santos 0, R. Santos 0, Ambohot 0, Corpuz 0.
TNT 94 – Oftana 33, Pogoy 15, Nambatac 12, Erram 9, Enciso 9, Williams 8, Khobuntin 5, Aurin 3, Varilla 0, Razon 0.
Quarterscores: 28-16, 53-35, 71-65, 100-94.
