Two title contenders—Converge FiberXers and San Miguel Beermen—battled it out at the Ynares Center in Antipolo in the first game of the PBA’s Sunday doubleheader. In the end, the veteran Beermen proved too much for the young FiberXers as the former fashioned out a 96-90 victory for their third straight win after an 0-2 start.
What Happened?
Converge started off strong, winning the first quarter, 28-20, but San Miguel got back fairly quickly, outscoring the FiberXers by six in the second to enter halftime down by only two, 49-47. The Beermen retook the lead four minutes into the third, 52-51, and extended it to 69-66 after three. Then, riding the hot shooting of Juami Tiongson, San Miguel added to their lead in the fourth, building as much as an 11-point advantage—91-80 at the 4:53 mark—that proved insurmountable.
Who Stood Out?
June Mar Fajardo flashed his MVP form throughout the game and finished with yet another command performance: 24 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. But it was Tiongson who finished what The Kraken started, firing all of his 14 points—including a pair of triples—in the fourth to lead the Beermen’s strong finish.
Over at Converge, Schonny Winston was brilliant for most of the first three quarters as he carried the offensive load alongside Justin Arana. Winston finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Arana had 19 markers and 10 caroms.
3 Keys to the Game
- Defense. The story of this game was San Miguel putting the clamps on that prolific Converge offense. Chris Ross set the tone early by hounding rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño, and the rest of the Beermen followed suit. In all, San Miguel held Converge to 35.2% from the field and 24.0% from the arc to limit the FiberXers to a conference-low 90 points.
- June Mar Fajardo. Good things happened when San Miguel went to the nine-time MVP, especially in the first three quarters. The Kraken, in particular, was San Miguel’s main source of offense in the first half, where the Beermen struggled mightily from the perimeter.
- Juami Tiongson. San Miguel’s strong finishing kick had much to do with Juami Tiongson’s offensive explosion in the fourth. Scoreless in limited minutes in the first three quarters, Tiongson came alive in the payoff canto and scored 14 points, including a personal 12-5 outburst that extended San Miguel’s lead from 77-75 to 88-80.
Next Up for the PBA
With PBA action heating up, the league takes the games to the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday with another doubleheader. Two teams at the cellar—the Titan Ultra Giant Risers and Blackwater Bossing—tussle in the first game, followed by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters taking on the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the second game.
Titan Ultra vs. Blackwater (5:15 p.m.)
Rain or Shine vs. Phoenix (7:30 p.m.)
