Converge logged convincing victories over Ginebra and Magnolia in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
Juan Gomez de Liaño rejected the screen from the left elbow, went the opposite way, gave his foe a nudge before swishing a high-looping jumper to extend Converge's lead with a minute and 12 seconds left to play Friday night, Dec. 5.
That basket gave the FiberXers a commanding 105-90 advantage they protected to the finish for a 114-97 win over Magnolia in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
Playing against his brother Javi for the first time in the PBA, the younger GDL showed no mercy as he produced 27 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block.
It was a stellar follow-up to his 32-point game in Converge's huge win against Ginebra before the PBA hit pause to give way for Gilas Pilipinas' bid in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Though the FiberXers scored back-to-back wins against league heavyweights, head coach Delta Pineda is making sure to keep his wards grounded and locked in on their goal.
“Natsambahan lang namin siguro. Gusto ko lang sa mga bata na nandoon ay fight ’til the end,” said Pineda, whose team sealed a quarterfinal berth after joining Rain or Shine and NLEX atop the standings with their 6-2 record.
“Nabibigyan kami ng magandang output sa attidude na 'yon. Talagang nakikipagpatayan talaga. [But] we’re stil underdogs sa mga 'yan. Focus lang kami sa eliminations, one day at a a time.”
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After a so-so opening salvo that saw them trail by as many as 13 points, the FiberXers started turning it up in the third period before completely flipping the script on the Hotshots in the final 12 minutes of action.
Converge started breaking free from the back-and-forth game when Juan converted a four-pointer for a 90-82 lead, which eventually ballooned to as many as 19 points.
Ian Sangalang sat out due to a flagrant foul penalty 1 he committed against Archie Concepcion for an extended swing as they jockeyed for position down low with still 5:27 remaining.
Since then, things went icy cold for the Hotshots.
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Aside from JGDL, Alec Stockton also came up big for Converge with his 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.
But it was Justine Baltazar who emerged as Player of the Game as he delivered 19 points and 14 rebounds he spiked with two assists, two steals and one block.
“Ibinigay ko lang talaga ang best ko sa role ko as a big man. Halos lahat naman, maganda ang ipinakita,” said Baltazar.
Meanwhile, Zavier Lucero saw his 31-point effort go down the drain after Magnolia claimed a third loss in eight games to slide to sixth. He also had nine rebounds, a steal and two blocks.
Jerom Lastimosa submitted 13 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Mark Barroca and Javi added 10 points apiece.
Converge vs. Magnolia Scores:
CONVERGE 114 – Gomez de Liaño 27, Stockton 23, Baltazar 19, Concepcion 11, Winston 10, Arana 9, Garcia 7, Muyang 6, Caralipio 2, Racal 0, R. Santos 0, Delos Santos 0, Javillonar 0
MAGNOLIA 97 – Lucero 31, Lastimosa 13, Barroca 10, Gomez de Liaño 10, Laput 8, Eriobu 7, Lee 7, Dela Rosa 5, Koon 4, Sangalang 2
Quarterscores: 19-27, 42-50, 78-77, 114-97
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.