Converge pulled away late to beat a depleted — and deflated — Rain or Shine, 130-118, and move a win away from the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, Wednesday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The FiberXers heated up in the fourth quarter en route to the 1-0 lead in their best-of-3 quarterfinal series, as they made the Elasto Painters realize how tough things could get without Deon Thompson following a premature exit.
The veteran import got fouled out barely four minutes into the third quarter after being called for a landing spot infraction on counterpart Cheick Diallo, leaving his team reduced to an all-Filipino crew although they kept in pace.
But they can only do so much, with Converge putting together a 13-4 run behind Justin Arana and Diallo toward a 118-108 lead approaching the midway mark of the final frame that put them in control the rest of the way.
Now they can close it out in Game 2 on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, which if they do would be the franchise’s first semis appearance.
