It was a tale of two halves for the Converge FiberXers (5-2) and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (3-2) on Saturday as the PBA Commissioner’s Cup went to Batangas for a showcase for the fans. In the end, it was the young up-and-comers who won 98-91 against the crowd darlings.
Ginebra looked superb in the first half, executing to perfection, hitting their treys, and clamping down on Converge to take a 57-40 advantage into intermission. Even Batangas’ own, LA Tenorio, got some burn and hit a pair of jumpers—a three and a long two on the short right corner.
Converge Turns It Around in the Second Half
But, come the second half, the FiberXers completely flipped the script on Ginebra and roared back to life starting with Alec Stockton. The young guard, who has emerged as one of the PBA’s budding stars, led Converge’s third-quarter uprising that saw the FiberXers explode for 33 points to Ginebra’s 13
At one point in the third, Stockton scored 14 straight points to single-handedly cut into the Ginebra lead. This time, it was the FiberXers who clamped down on defense, shutting down Ginebra and forcing the crowd darlings into end-of-clock situations and hurried treys.
Stockton finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, but it was Jordan Heading, Schonny Winston, and import Cheick Diallo who finished the job in the fourth. Heading, who had 13 points and 6 assists hit a trey at the end of the third to give Converge its first lead, 73-70, since 2-0. Winston then hit a couple of midrange jumpers to help the FiberXers zoom to an 80-70 advantage—courtesy of a 20-0 blitz spanning the third and fourth periods—early in the final canto.
Ginebra mounted its own last-ditch comeback, getting to within 91-88 on a Maverick Ahanmisi triple. Diallo then sealed the deal with a thunderous jam with a foul to push Converge ahead, 95-88.
Diallo had 19 points and 18 rebounds, while Winston added 15. Justin Brownlee carried Ginebra, going off for 39 points and 10 boards. But he was just 15-for-34 from the field. Ahanmisi chipped in 15.
Up next:
Converge vs. Meralco Bolts on December 25 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Ginebra vs Magnolia on December 25 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
The Scores:
- Converge (98) – Stockton 22, Diallo 19, Winston 15, Heading 13, Arana 11, Santos 8, Baltazar 6, Racal 3, Nieto 1, Andrade 0, Caralipio 0, Delos Santos 0.
- Barangay Ginebra (91) – Brownlee 39, Ahanmisi 15, Abarrientos 11, Thompson 8, Rosario 5, Tenorio 5, Mariano 4, Adamos 2
PBA Commissioner’s Cup Continues
The PBA Commissioner’s Cup will hold its penultimate game day later and last Sunday’s play date with a double-header between the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Terrafirma Dyip and the San Miguel Beermen and Hong Kong Eastern.
