The first half of the PBA Governors’ Cup has been nothing short of eventful. From surprise contenders to perennial powerhouses finding their stride, the tournament has already given fans plenty to talk about. With the long break offering teams a chance to regroup, it’s the perfect time to take stock of where everyone stands.

Here’s a look at how the squads are shaping up midway through the PBA Governors’ Cup.

GROUP A

1. NLEX Road Warriors

NLEX was the best team throughout the first part of the PBA Governors’ Cup, up until its heartbreaking loss to the Converge FiberXers right before the break. It’s in part due to stellar showings from Robert Bolick, Schonny Winston, and rookie Ljay Gonzales, and in part due to Jimmy Alapag getting contributions from the other guys. The real challenge, though, lies ahead without the injured DeQuan Jones, who proved to be the perfect reinforcement for NLEX.

Key Stat: 35.8% 3PT shooting (No team combines three-point shooting volume with shooting efficiency quite like NLEX, which has weaponized the trey ball even more this conference.)

2. San Miguel Beermen

San Miguel’s perennial import problems in reinforced tournaments appear to be a thing of the past with George King in tow. His prolific offense, combined with the Beermen’s local firepower, has become a difficult puzzle to crack and has San Miguel looking championship-ready once more. And that’s with Cjay Perez missing four games due to an injured groin. He’s slated for a return after the long break, and it could elevate the Beermen even more in this Governors’ Cup.

Key Stat: 121.0 PPG (San Miguel is the most potent scoring team in the league, with its 121.0 points per game leading the PBA by far. Converge comes at a distant second, 5.3 points behind the Beermen’s league-leading mark.)

3. Converge FiberXers

Converge righted the ship just in time after a four-game swoon, winning its last game before the long break. Cameron Clark’s superb two-way play and Calvin Abueva’s renaissance of sorts keyed the turnaround, with Juan Gomez de Liaño seemingly turning a corner as well. With the Macau Giant Pandas and Titan Ultra Giant Risers still up next, the FiberXers can build serious momentum.

Key Stat: 2.2 to 1 assists to turnover (For all of Converge’s supposed chemistry issues, it still has a robust 2.2 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Overall, the FiberXers issue the most assists while committing the fewest miscues.)

4. TNT Tropang 5G

Injury woes aside, TNT is still at an even 4-4, and that speaks to the team’s resilience and championship DNA. It’s also a testament to the Tropa’s defense, which has been sensational for most of the first half of the tournament. With good health looming, TNT looks ready to make its move after the break to defend its PBA Governors’ Cup title.

Key Stat: 16.1 turnovers forced (TNT is second in the league in forcing the most turnovers, and that’s a reflection of this team’s defensive tenacity.)

5. Terrafirma Dyip

Terrafirma has been a pleasant surprise this conference as it has proven to be a tough out for the most part—and that’s a credit to the team’s collective tenacity and never-give-up style. However, the Dyip could certainly work on finishing games, as they could have easily been 5-3 or 6-2 if they had just closed a couple of tight contests better.

Key Stat: 12.8 free throws made per game (Free throws are free points, and Terrafirma gets very few of those. Worse, they shoot a league-worst 65.8% from the foul line.)

6. Titan Ultra Giant Risers

It’s a mild surprise that Titan Ultra has won two games already in this PBA Governors’ Cup given its ragtag squad. Rensy Bajar has his team chucking up threes in bunches, and it’s good when the shots are falling. Otherwise, the Giant Risers can be dreadful.

Key Stat: 122.3 OPPG (That’s how many points the Giant Risers surrender every game, which is the worst mark in the league. It’s also one of the reasons Titan Ultra is losing so much.)

7. Macau Giant Pandas

Whatever momentum the Giant Pandas built in the tail end of the Commissioner’s Cup evidently was a mirage, as they’re back to their losing ways in this Governors’ Cup. Still trigger-happy from distance, Macau has regressed and is the tournament’s unquestioned punching bag along with Titan Ultra.

Key Stat: 103.9 points per 100 possessions (Macau is the second-worst team in generating offense on a per-possession basis, which is probably why it’s again at the bottom of the standings.)

Group B

1. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

After some initial upheaval, the Elasto Painters have settled into a nice rhythm, generating enough points and getting enough stops so far this Governors’ Cup. A lot of the credit should go to Adrian Nocum, who has seemingly elevated his game after Rain or Shine traded captain Gian Mamuyac to the Phoenix Fuel Masters.

Key Stat: 140.8 (Rain or Shine’s 140.8 True Shooting percentage is actually the league’s worst, which means it is winning despite some uneven marksmanship.)

2. Magnolia Hotshots

Winners of three straight, Magnolia has looked like a potential championship team of late, with the catalyst being LA Tenorio’s decision to use Jerom Lastimosa as sixth man. That move has paid off handsomely in the Hotshots’ three-game winning streak, where the former Adamson Falcon has averaged 23.5 points and 4.5 assists on 68% from inside the arc.

Key Stat: 92.1 OPG (Aside from Lastimosa’s emergence, Magnolia is also benefitting from a stout defense, which is giving up just 92.1 points per game. That’s the second stingiest defense in the Governors’ Cup so far.)

3. Blackwater Bossing

After an encouraging start to the Governors’ Cup, Blackwater fell off somewhat before recovering with a big victory over Phoenix before the break. Kentrell Barkley’s brilliance has a lot to do with the Bossing’s 3-3 record thus far, as does Sedrick Barefield and RK Ilagan lighting it up. But Blackwater will need more contributions if it wants to finally make it to the playoffs.

Key Stat: 25.3% 3PT FG (Blackwater’s putrid shooting from beyond the arc—the worst in the league by far—is keeping the Bossing from getting to that next tier.)

4. Phoenix Fuel Masters

Like Blackwater, Phoenix got off to an inspiring start, going 4-1 in its first five games only to fall off with three consecutive defeats. A major issue has been the Fuel Masters’ inability to finish games strong, as they’ve faltered in the fourth quarter in each of those three losses.

Key Stat: 15.3 turnovers (Phoenix commits the second-most turnovers per game this Governors’ Cup, just behind Rain or Shine. Worse, many of those turnovers seemingly come in the fourth quarter of close games.)

5. Meralco Bolts

Meralco’s uneven start to the PBA Governors’ Cup has as much to do with injuries and an inability to close out games. But original import Jordon Varnado proved to be worth the wait in the Bolts’ win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, and it could be the spark Meralco needs for a turnaround.

Key Stat: 80.5% FT (Meralco makes its freebies count and is second in the league in that department. It’s one reason the Bolts are third in average free throws made this conference at 16.5 a game. For an offense that routinely conks out, those freebies are huge.)

6. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

It’s clear Ginebra isn’t that good of a team without Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson. Add to that the conference-long struggles of RJ Abarrientos, and the barangay faces the perfect storm of adversity. Now, Tim Cone and his wards can only hope for better things after the Governors’ Cup break.

Key Stat: 89.5 points (Ginebra has the stingiest defense in the PBA Governors’ Cup, surrendering just 89.3 points per game. The problem is, Team NSD is putting up only 89.5 points a game.)