The youthful Converge FiberXers will be put to test against a battle-tested Ginebra in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
Juan Gomez de Liaño and the Converge FiberXers put their twice-to-beat advantage on the line when they clash with the Brgy. Ginebra Gin Kings in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals on Thursday, Dec. 25.
The main Christmas Day game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
[WATCH: PBA LIVESTREAM: Brgy. Ginebra vs Converge FiberXers | Philippine Cup quarterfinals]
Converge enters the knockout round as the fourth seed after finishing the eliminations tied at 7–4 with Ginebra, but owning the higher ranking thanks to a 106–96 win over the Gin Kings earlier in the conference.
That result gives head coach Delta Pineda and his young core some confidence heading into the mentor's first Christmas Day game as a PBA head coach.
Still, the FiberXers know better than to relax against a battle-tested Ginebra squad.
While Converge boasts rising stars like Gomez de Liaño, Justine Baltazar, Justin Arana, and Alec Stockton, the team also recently added valuable experience with the arrival of veteran big man Vic Manuel, a move aimed at steadying the squad in pressure-packed situations.
With two chances to advance, Converge will look to strike early and avoid a winner-take-all scenario against one of the league’s most dangerous playoff teams.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of One Sports Digital with the help of AI and reviewed by editorial staff for accuracy.]