The San Miguel Beermen beat the Converge FiberXers, 128-122, on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo in a win where the final score looks closer than the game really was. With the win, San Miguel moved to 3-0 in the PBA Governors’ Cup while sending Converge to 3-1.
What Happened?
With George King and Cjay Perez firing away, San Miguel raced out to an early 27-10 lead and looked primed to break the game open right in the opening frame. But, led by Alec Stockton’s playmaking and Calvin Abueva’s energy, Converge clawed back in the back end of the first quarter to move to within 30-23 after one. Converge continued its surge in the second canto, with reigning Player of the Week Justin Arana and Mikey Williams also getting involved to lead the FiberXers to a 37-31 quarter and a 61-60 lead going into intermission.
In the third period, it was San Miguel’s turn to catch fire, with Perez and King again leading the way en route to a 41-31 quarter and a 102-91 lead heading into the final frame. Unlike in the first half, however, Converge had no fight left as the Beermen continued to be in control, 126-110, with 2:37 left in regulation. Only a 12-2 Converge run in garbage time made the final score close.
Who Stood Out?
San Miguel got great games from so many players in this one, but King and Perez starred for sure. King finished with a game-high 41 points on top of 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, while Perez added 31 markers and 4 boards on 12-for-17 shooting. Marcio Lassiter also showed out with 18 points, including eight straight to end the first half.
For Converge, Justin Arana led the way, tallying 29 big points on 14-for-19 shooting to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Justin Baltazar added 16 points and 12 rebounds and had the unenviable task of trying to shadow King. Stockton, off the bench, had 14 points and 7 assists.
3 Keys to the Game
- Starters. San Miguel’s starters came to play in this one, outscoring their Converge counterparts, 101-72. In fact, King and Perez combined scored as many points as the five FiberXers starters. The Beermen’s starting five also set the tone, racing out to that 27-10 start to show San Miguel meant business.
- Third quarter storm. After one half, the game looked like a heavyweight championship bout with both parties throwing haymakers. But, in the third, the Beermen dealt the FiberXers what amounted to a knockout blow, scoring 41 big points en route to a 102-91 lead heading into the fourth. Converge never recovered.
- No let-up. Part of the reason Converge couldn’t recover from that wobbly third quarter was San Miguel keeping the pressure on even with a double-digit lead. King and company were so locked in that Converge couldn’t bring that double-digit lead under 10 until the last few seconds.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, July 22, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
- Magnolia Hotshots vs. Meralco Bolts (5:15 p.m.)
- Blackwater Bossing vs. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
