ONE OF JUAN
Rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño registered a triple-double for the second time in just his third game in the PBA—a remarkable run of form in what is an unprecedented start to a pro basketball career in the country.
But more than getting 17 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists the fueled Converge’s 125-108 rout of Terrafirma in Wednesday’s Philippine Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, what impressed Gomez de Liaño was how the FiberXers were able to atone for a disappointing loss over the weekend.
“I think the mindset coming into this game is to bring a lot of energy and that’s what we did as a whole,” Gomez de Liaño said after his team was handed a 110-103 defeat by the TNT Tropang 5G in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Converge improved to 2-1, and Gomez de Liaño was certainly not the only one who came up huge as three new teammates made their debuts, led by big man Larry Muyang.
Muyang had 10 points and five rebounds off the bench after a long route back to the PBA that saw him being slapped with an indefinite ban for leaving his former team, Phoenix, for Pampanga in the MPBL while under contract.
He was later reinstated and then traded to Converge in the offseason.
His arrival, plus fellow Pampanga Giant Lanterns standouts John Lloyd Clemente and Archie Concepcion, added a lot of depth and dimension to the FiberXers roster.
“We added more firepower off the bench with the three new players and I’m just happy that we came out with the W,” said Gomez de Liaño.
Despite the lopsided victory, Gomez de Liaño said there’s still more work to be done for the FiberXers, noting some kinks that needed to be ironed out before returning to action on Saturday against the Fuel Masters at Ynares Center in Antipolo.
“I think the team did a good job, but there were a couple of lapses in our defensive schemes that we have to work on going into Saturday’s game,” he said.
Alec Stockton led the scoring for Converge with 22 points, even as the twin towers of Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana punched in double-doubles for the FiberXers.
Schonny Winston added 14 even as Clemente also scored 10, and MJ Garcia put up 15 points.
Terrafirma dropped to 1-2 despite fielding a new player of its own in former Ginebra Gin King Aljon Mariano, who was part of a trade that sent Maverick Ahanmisi to the Dyip. Ahanmisi’s debut with Terrafirma will have to wait due to an injury.
