PBA Commissioner’s Cup action on Sunday had mammoth ramifications as one team inched closer to a twice-to-beat edge. Two teams, on the other hand, battled to stay in contention for a quarterfinals seat and only one remained. Here is a recap of Sunday’s games:
Converge Blasts Blackwater, Moves Closer to Twice-to-Beat Edge
Jordan Heading led three players with at least 20 points to lead the Converge FiberXers to a 127-109 dismantling of the Blackwater Bossing.
Heading topscored for the FiberXers with 22 points built on three triples. Cheick Diallo added 20 points and 18 rebounds, while Justine Baltazar fired a career-high 20 on top of 10 boards. Converge also got 19 points from Alec Stockton and 10 each from Schonny Winston and JL Delos Santos in an offensive onslaught that moved the team to 8-3.
George King and Jaydee Tungcab were bright spots for Blackwater. The prolific King finished with a game-high 34 points built on four four-pointers and added 13 boards and 6 assists. Tungcab had 20.
Up next:
Converge vs. San Miguel Beermen on January 24 (Ynares Center)
Blackwater vs. NorthPort Batang Pier on January 25 (Ynares Center)
The scores:
Converge (127) – Heading 22, Baltazar 20, Diallo 20, Stockton 19, Delos Santos 10, Winston 10, Santos 8, Nieto 8, Arana 7, Racal 3
Blackwater (109) – King 34, Tungcab 20, Chua 16, David 14, Kwekuteye 10, Casio 6, Corteza 4, Ponferrada 3, Guinto 2
NLEX Knocks Off Phoenix from Quarters Race
Robert Bolick fired a team-high 26 points as he led the NLEX Road Warriors to a crucial 108-94 drubbing of the Phoenix Fuel Masters to stay in the hunt for a quarters berth while knocking Phoenix out of contention.
Bolick added 9 assists and 5 rebounds along with a four-pointer and two treys. Mike Watkins continued his double-double streak with 22 points and 18 rebounds, while Jonel Policarpio scattered a career-high 17. Robbie Herndon added 15 as the Road Warriors finally gave their Bolick-Watkins one-two punch some offensive help.
Donovan Smith went off for a game-high 36 points on top of 14 rebounds but got little help offensively as only Ricci Rivero scored in double-digits for Phoenix with 13.
Up next:
NLEX vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on January 25 (Ynares Center)
Phoenix vs. Blackwater on January 21 (Ynares Center)
The Scores:
NLEX (108) – Bolick 26, Watkins 22, Policarpio 17, Herndon 15, Semerad 11, Torres 9, Ramirez 5, Nieto 3
Phoenix (94) – Smith 36, Rivero 13, Perkins 8, Muyang 8, Tio 7, Tuffin 6, Garcia 5, Jazul 5, Alejandro 3, Ballungay 2, Manganti 1
PBA Commissioner’s Cup: Next on Tap
The PBA Commissioner’s Cup takes a break today but will resume tomorrow at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The first game will pit eliminated teams Blackwater and Phoenix. The second game will be a crucial matchup between the NorthPort Batang Pier, who are looking to stay in the top half of the standings, and the San Miguel Beermen, who are looking to stay in the hunt for a quarters berth.
