‘Lightning’ Hopson strikes twice for Converge
For the second straight time in the PBA Governors’ Cup, Scotty Hopson came through with a four-point shot in the dying seconds that saved Converge from the jaws of defeat.
But the winning jumper from the right elbow of the longest arc may turn out to be an advantage Hopson and the FiberXers need down the road, particularly in their ongoing footrace with their heated rival NorthPort Batang Pier for a quarterfinals berth in Group A.
“Lightning struck twice for us,” coach Franco Atienza said after Converge’s thrilling 100-99 result at the expense of Terrafirma, which saw victory slip out of its hands in back-to-back games at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Converge improved to an even 4-4 win-loss slate, leapfrogging a NorthPort squad that fell to 3-5 hours earlier with its 114-104 defeat at the hands of Meralco, another reason to gain some bragging rights.
Converge and NorthPort were three days removed from an incident after their game won by the former at the same venue was marred by a heated exchange between FiberXers assistant coach Danny Ildefonso and Batang Pier team governor Erick Arejola.
Tiebreaker edge
Both teams each have two games left, with the FiberXers carrying the luxury of watching the Batang Pier pressure themselves into getting at least one win against a pair of fancied opponents.
NorthPort has Magnolia next on Sept. 20 and TNT on Sept. 22 to finish off its slate of group stage matches.
But Converge is keen on getting its own share of victories to put itself in the quarters, even if it is scheduled to take on fancied foes in Meralco on Sept. 18 and Magnolia on Sept. 23.
If the two teams end up tied after the group phase, NorthPort holds the tiebreaker despite splitting the two meetings due to a superior point differential over Converge.
Hopson’s shot, which was contested by Terrafirma’s Andreas Cahilig, came with two seconds left as the FiberXers denied the Dyip another opportunity to end their winless misery in the competition.
It was the same spot where Hopson delivered the quadruple that beat current Group A leader TNT Tropang Giga, 96-95, last Aug. 27 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
And in both times, TNT and Terrafirma opted not to go for a quick foul that would have sent Hopson to the line for two free throws.
With that miscue, Terrafirma fell to 0-8, two nights after losing by a similar margin to Magnolia when import Shabazz Muhammad scored a lefty runner off, incidentally, Cahilig.
“He believed, even before hitting the shot, that he would make the shot,” said Atienza. INQ
