Mikey Williams delivered one heck of a shot for the Converge FiberXers on Friday, as his clutch three-pointer gave his team a four-point lead that helped the Purple Nation even its quarterfinal series against Rain or Shine at one game apiece.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Williams said that his clutch shot finally ended a frustrating shooting slump.
Knocked the Monkey Off Mikey Williams’ Back
With Converge holding a one-point lead, veteran guard Mikey Williams made a booming trey from the top of the key to extend the advantage to 127-123 with just 35 seconds remaining in Game 2.
For the former Finals MVP, the shot was a huge sigh of relief.
“I think it was good for me. It knocked the monkey off my back,” said Williams. “I’ve been on a slump. I haven’t been contributing the way I know, the way I’m capable of, so in the playoffs anything can happen.”
In the opening game of the series, the 6-foot-1 guard finished with just 3 points on 1-for-12 shooting from the field.
However, in Game 2, the former TNT Tropang 5G guard bounced back with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists, with two three-pointers on six attempts from beyond the arc.
More importantly, the veteran presence Williams provided throughout his 24 minutes of playing time, particularly during the crucial stretches of the game, proved valuable as Converge secured a 130-125 victory.
Cleaning Up Converge’s Mistakes
Following his important three-point basket, the Filipino-American guard acknowledged that the team still had several mistakes to correct, including another third-quarter meltdown in Game 2.
“But if we fix the little things, we made a lot of mistakes today. I think cleaning that up would change the trajectory of the next game,” he said.
In Game 1, the FiberXers failed to contain the Elasto Painters’ offensive barrage as Rain or Shine scored 42 points in the third quarter. In Game 2, a similar problem emerged, with the Elasto Painters putting up 37 points compared to Converge’s 25 in the same period.
“You know they have a great coach and a great group of guys over there as well, coach Yeng [Guiao], and Rain or Shine. They’re tough,” said the 35-year-old.
On Friday, Mikey Williams and the rest of the FiberXers showed they’re just as tough. Now, the two teams shift their focus to Game 3 of their PBA Governors’ Cup clash later today at the City of Dasmariñas Arena in Cavite.
Tipoff is at 5:15 p.m.
