Converge sent Rain or Shine skidding for the first time in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup by coming away with the 103-96 decision to get itself back on the right track, Tuesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The FiberXers leaned on Alec Stockton to pull away for good in the fourth.
They downed an Elasto Painters side that had to play without Coach Yeng Guiao for the remainder of the game after being thrown out late in the quarter prior.
Stockton himself starred with a team-high 21 points, finding redemption after being limited to only seven points by the defensive-oriented TNT the last time out – ultimately leading to a narrow 98-96 defeat to the perennial contenders.
He made sure that no repeat of that would take place, especially in the fourth quarter that saw him fire 17 of his points to repel their foes.
“Personally, I played really bad, I played awful the last game, especially down the stretch I wasn’t able to give my team a chance. So I wanna make sure I bounce back this game,” the Far Eastern University product said.
Also bouncing back big was Jordan Heading with 17 points, as he and Stockton co-led a side that played with ailing players Justin Arana and Cheick Diallo.
Arana played with a heavily taped right leg after being hit in the shin although he still managed to notch a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Diallo, meanwhile, soldiered on despite a bum stomach but chipped in eight points and 13 rebounds, together with an assist, a steal, and a block each.
And together, they helped Converge claw its way back from an early 17-point deficit to eventually rise to solo second in the standings with a 7-3 record.
“It took us a lot para ma-stop sila. Dinala nila kami sa takbuhan, at ganoon din sa ilalim, but good thing really we gained the momentum somewhere in the second,” said interim head coach Franco Atienza.
The FiberXers dislodged Rain or Shine at no. 2 in the rankings as the latter dropped all the way down to seventh with a 5-3 card after absorbing back-to-back defeats for the first time in this conference.
Jhonard Clarito top-scored for RoS with 24 points. Deon Thompson tallied a rare 20-20 as he finished with 22 points and 22 rebounds in the loss that saw Guiao get ejected at the 4:45 mark of the third due to technical fouls.
Both sides will return to action this week as the elimination round nears its end.
Rain or Shine is scheduled to take on the league-leading NorthPort on Thursday, January 16, 5:00 PM at the Philsports Arena.
Converge, on the other hand, will take on the struggling Blackwater on Sunday, January 19, 5:00 PM at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The Scores:
Converge 103 – Stockton 21, Heading 17, Arana 15, Racal 13, Diallo 8, Baltazar 8, Winston 7, Delos Santos 6, Santos 6, Caralipio 2, Ambohot 0, Nieto 0.
Rain or Shine 96 – Clarito 24, Thompson 22, Belga 14, Santillan 6, Nocum 7, Asistio 5, Tiongson 5, Ildefonso 2, Norwood 0, Datu 0, Lemetti 0.
Quarterscores: 17-30, 47-43, 73-69, 103-96.
