Great win but Converge needs more as tight finish looms

Schonny Winston (No. 8) and the FiberXers were head and shoulders better than June Mar Fajardo and the Beermen on Wednesday. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Converge snapped mighty San Miguel Beer’s PBA Philippine Cup streak late Wednesday evening, but coach Franco Atienza said the win would mean nothing unless the FiberXers ride the momentum of that upset deep into the playoffs.

“This win means nothing if we don’t get through the playoffs,” Atienza said following a 100-97 victory at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

That might sound a tad bit alarmist, especially since Converge’s 7-4 record not only guarantees the squad of a quarterfinal appearance but also puts the team in the mix for a twice-to-beat bonus.

The problem? The FiberXers victory complicated things for the teams jostling for that advantage.

And TNT will try to muddle things up even more.

The Tropang 5G square off against the Magnolia Hotshots at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and a win could see six teams tied at 7-4.

Losses by San Miguel (7-3) and Barangay Ginebra (7-3) on Sunday will help create that logjam as it will draw Rain or Shine (6-4) into the fray.

San Miguel will face NorthPort while Barangay Ginebra battles Rain or Shine on that day at Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

And with Converge right in the middle of that knot, cleaning up some of the mess the FiberXers spilled against the Beermen becomes even more crucial to a team looking to make a deep run in the playoffs.

“At some point, we gave up a 30-point quarter,” Atienza said, referring to a lethargic third frame that allowed San Miguel to claw back. “But what’s nice is we were able to finish strong.”

“For a young team like ours, that’s very important. That builds character.”

Schonny Winston had a team-high 25 points for Converge that went with a pair of steals and a block and Atienza feels that games against powerhouse squads can help sharpen the rest of the players for the tough road ahead.

“We can do everything else in practice. But (navigating) pressure? You can’t do that in practice. You get that through games,” he said.

“That said, coming into the playoffs, this will be big. Somehow, we’ll have that memory of how to play that way—especially in the endgame.”