There should be no doubt that Converge felt vindicated in making a move to get Mikey Williams after he helped the franchise reach unprecedented success by advancing to the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup semifinals on Friday night.
The veteran gunner rose to the occasion and bannered the strong closeout, knocking down back-to-back triples with 2:42 to spare as the FiberXers eventually oust Rain or Shine in Game 4 of their best-of-5 quarters series.
Those long bombs of his were reminiscent of his glory days with TNT a few years ago. But for some, those shots served as a silencer of sorts to those critical of the franchise’s decision to trade him for Jordan Heading.
“Wala tayong pinagsisisihan doon sa nangyaring trade na ‘yun,” said head coach Delta Pineda after their 120-109 win at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Converge traded Heading to the Tropang 5G for Williams’ rights back on June 2, 2025, drawing mixed reactions from fans as the latter, at the time, was still away after a lengthy contractual dispute with the flagship MVP franchise.
Some even called TNT the winner in the shocking 1-for-1 deal, especially after the former Gilas Pilipinas guard helped his new team reach the Finals of the Philippine Cup in just his very first conference wearing the blue and yellow.
(C) PBA Images
The FiberXers, on the other hand, waited for a while before securing the two-time PBA Press Corps Finals MVP’s commitment. He eventually signed a one-year deal just last February, ending his years-long absence in the league.
While Heading emerged as a key cog of Coach Chot Reyes, Williams struggled to find his place within his own team, and fans often looked for him online.
Fast forward to Friday, and all that has changed. The former NBA G League vet has become a closer for Pineda & Co., serving as a thorn in the side of RoS as he sent the latter packing for a long—and pensive, perhaps—offseason.
It’s a role he’s known to fulfill during his heydays with TNT and reprised with Converge after figuring out his place in consultant Djordje Jovicic’s scheme of things, which was first seen during Game 2 of the series last October 30.
There, he hit a dagger triple over Caelan Tiongson’s outstretched arms with 35.2 seconds left, and the 130-125 win evened out at 1-1.
A week later, he’d cause damage from three-point range again, this time with two crucial triples that became one of the young ball club’s defining moments in what’s now become a memorable campaign.
“We have Mikey here. I know Mikey can help the team; Mikey can contribute to the team. And ‘yung experience ni Mikey, malaking factor especially in this quarterfinals, this coming semifinals,” said Pineda as they face NLEX next.
Needless to say, it’s a deal they won’t ever regret, especially after seeing the ROI unfold right before their very eyes: the franchise’s first-ever semis trip.
“Wala po tayong pinagsisihan doon. Ano po ‘yun, it’s a good decision. It’s a team decision, it’s the owners’ decision, it’s a good decision. And now it shows ‘yung experience ni Mikey in this crucial moment, nai-deliver po,” Pineda insisted.
