The Converge FiberXers rallied from a 10-point deficit down the stretch to eke out a scintillating 114-112 victory over the TNT Tropang 5G on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. With the win, Converge clinched the third seed in Group A and will be heading into the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals with a five-game winning streak.
What Happened?
The first five minutes of the opening frame unfolded like a heavyweight classic where both sides threw haymakers. TNT, though, scored the next seven points after the game was tied at 13 to create some separation, on its way to a 35-27 lead after one on the strength of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s 14 points and Jordan Heading’s troika of triples. Converge’s own 7-0 run early in the second inched them to within 37-36 and set the stage for a tight final nine minutes of the first half that saw both teams score 19 points apiece as the Tropa entered intermission on top, 56-55.
Things stayed tight up until the 4:53 mark in the third, with TNT ahead by only five, 75-70. But the Tropa unleashed an 11-1 run behind six points from RR Pogoy to push the lead to 86-71 with a little over a minute left in the third, before ending it ahead, 86-74. TNT continued to be in control for the majority of the final frame and was still ahead, 102-92, with 3:25 remaining in regulation. The FiberXers then roared back, going on a 14-4 windup to send the game to OT behind two triples from Alec Stockton and a booming four-pointer from Juan Gomez de Liaño.
Overtime was tight all the way, with three ties and four lead changes—the last one at 114-112 thanks to a Stockton jumper with 13 seconds remaining. Stockton then helped Calvin Abueva lock down RHJ in TNT’s ensuing possession to seal the pulsating win.
Who Stood Out?
The big names balled out in Sunday’s thriller of a game, with Converge getting heroic performances from several key guys. Stockton, in particular, shone the brightest, firing 10 of his 19 points in the final eight minutes of the game—the last three in regulation and the five minutes of OT. De Liaño starred as well, finishing with 22 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists as he made crucial plays down the stretch together with Stockton. Import Cameron Clark, meanwhile, held his own against Hollis-Jefferson and finished with a team-high 27 points on top of 7 rebounds and 6 assists.
RHJ, in only his second game back from a torn Achilles, played like the three-time Best Import that he is, tallying a game-high 33 markers to go along with 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Heading backed him up with 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals, while RR Pogoy came off the bench to add 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block.
3 Keys to the Game
- Tenacity. Multiple times in Sunday’s game, it looked like TNT was ready to break the game open and bury Converge. Each time, the FiberXers fought back and crawled back into it, with that 14-4 run to end regulation giving the team a new lease on life after what looked like a looming loss. Then, in overtime, Converge made just enough plays to seal the deal.
- Ball movement. The FiberXers moved the ball selflessly all game long and recorded 29 assists to TNT’s 19. What’s more, Converge didn’t default to going one-on-one down the stretch and instead kept executing and sharing the rock to find the open man. In contrast, the Tropa’s offense bogged down multiple times as plays ended up in isolation one too many times.
- Composure. For a team known for making sometimes silly endgame mistakes, Converge held steady both down the stretch of regulation and in overtime. Stockton, in particular, made the right decisions on both ends to help the FiberXers exact payback for their 110-107 buzzer-beating loss to the same team in the first round.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | Ynares Center Antipolo
San Miguel Beermen vs. NLEX Road Warriors (5:15 p.m.)
Magnolia Hotshots vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (7:30 p.m.)
