It’s two down for Winston and FiberXers; can No. 3 be far behind?
Converge sophomore Schonny Winston is playing in just his first playoff series and already, he has endured through two elimination games.
He’ll be playing in another this Sunday.
“I’m excited. We love basketball. This is what we all work here for. This is why we’re all watching and playing. This is what we love to do,” he said on the heels of the FiberXers’ 114-100 Game 4 victory over the San Miguel Beermen that sent their quarterfinal series into a deciding Game 5.
Winston, drafted third overall by the telco franchise last year, finished with 26 points, six rebounds and five assists—his efforts earning him the top honor for the win fashioned at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
But he says that’s just a snapshot of the brilliant team basketball his crew played.
“Alec (Stockton) had eight assists. I had five assists. Justin (Arana) had four and we’re all really good scorers,” he said. “To be able to share the ball like that is something special. We’re just really trying to share the ball and trying to show love to each of our players.”
If they continue playing that way, they could win a third straight do-or-die game and make it to the semifinals—a feat thought improbable before the season up until the first two games of the quarterfinals.
Bryan Santos was easily the biggest beneficiary of the team’s selfless play. The stretch forward caught two passes in the final three minutes of the game and knocked down back-to-back triples that gave Converge breathing room against the ever-dangerous San Miguel side.
“It feels really good, especially going down 0-2, especially to San Miguel, which is a strong team. Pushing them to a Game 5 is definitely what we wanted to do. I think we all came out today, played as a team and executed really well,” said the former La Salle standout in the UAAP.
Winston is ecstatic to have staved off elimination twice, but added that Converge—which has never won a playoff series since joining the PBA—is not out of the woods just yet.
“We fought and clawed right from the beginning. What we did here, we all fought to get to Sunday. That’s what we’re going to focus on now. We’re gonna learn what we can do to get better to make sure we can secure the win on Sunday,” he said.
