Behind an impressive showing from import Jamaal Franklin, Converge is off to a rousing 3-0 start for the early lead in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
But while Franklin made quite an impression in his debut in Asia’s pioneering pro league, an array of local stalwarts teamed up with him in the FiberXers’ fast start led by ace guard Maverick Ahanmisi.
The 6-foot-2 gunner shone the brightest for coach Aldin Ayo in their first three games so far, averaging 22.3 points on a 55-percent shooting clip, including a 38-percent accuracy from downtown.
An eight-year pro, the Fil-Am veteran also posted 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steal a game as Converge took down Northport, Rain or Shine, and Magnolia one after the other.
The numbers were enough for Ahanmisi to claim the first Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week citation this conference covering the period Jan. 22-29.
Ahanmisi, the third overall pick in the 2015 draft, opened his week with a 29-point eruption in Converge’s 122-92 win over Northport, with Kiwi Ethan Rusbatch still serving as the team’s import.
He added six rebounds, nine assists, a steal, and a block in the biggest winning margin in the franchise’s young history.
Ahanmisi followed it up with a 16-6-9-2 line in the FiberXers’ 130-115 victory over Terrafirma featuring Franklin as Converge’s new import.
Against debuting Magnolia, Ahanmisi joined forces with Franklin at crunch time as the FiberXers averted a meltdown from a 14-point lead to hack out a narrow 111-109 win.
He had 22 points and five rebounds in the triumph that allowed Converge a getaway drive from a three-way tie with TNT (2-0) and NLEX (2-0) on top of the season-ending conference.
Ahanmisi eclipsed TNT’s Roger Pogoy and NLEX’s Kevin Alas for the weekly honor handed out by print and online media regularly covering the PBA beat.
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The second game of each PBA gameday is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
