PROCEEDING WITH CAUTION
Justin Arana does not want to get too high on the position Converge is at after winning the opener of their best-of-three PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals showdown with Rain or Shine, which put the young franchise on the cusp of its first semifinals appearance.
“We can’t take a step back against Rain or Shine because they have a super-talented team,” Arana said after the FiberXers capitalized on the early loss of Elasto Painters import Deon Thompson on six fouls to claim a 130-118 victory on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Converge now has two chances to finish off Rain or Shine and complete the mission it failed on the last conference when the FiberXers bounced back from a 0-2 deficit before losing to the San Miguel Beermen in the deciding Game 5 of their quarters series.
The FiberXers’ first chance is on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, the same day the winner of the other best-of-three opener pitting Barangay Ginebra and Meralco at press time will get in its own bid to secure a sweep.
“We have to take it one step at a time, and we will make the necessary adjustments and find a way to beat Rain or Shine again,” added Arana.
NorthPort and TNT try to make short work of Magnolia and guest team Hong Kong Eastern, respectively, in Thursday’s quarterfinals twin bill at Ninoy, with the No. 1 Batang Pier and second-ranked Tropang Giga armed with twice-to-beat bonuses.
Arana had 22 points and eight rebounds and looked pretty good after sitting out the FiberXers’ last elims match against the Beermen due to a hyperextended knee.
Import Cheick Diallo dominated with 35 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and three blocks, while rookie Justine Baltazar scored 13 points, including a poster jam on veteran Beau Belga that put an exclamation point on the contest that saw the FiberXers overcome an early 17-point deficit.
Paint domination
The three were able to dominate the paint, especially after Rain or Shine lost Thompson with less than nine minutes remaining in the third.
Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao couldn’t help but take a shot at the officials after Thompson was called for three fouls in that period that resulted in his early exit.
“The PBA should investigate these referees,” Guiao said. “They decided the game. They called three consecutive fouls that were soft calls. Three fouls in less than three minutes. They decided the game.”
Thompson’s disqualification served as a double-whammy for the Elasto Painters, who leaned on a fiery start to hold a 34-17 lead in the first quarter before things began to turn in the FiberXers’ favor.
Apart from Diallo, Arana and Baltazar, the FiberXers also got big contributions from rookie guard Jordan Heading, who had 21 points and nine assists, Alec Stockton with 13 points and 10 assists, and Schonny Winston 17 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench.
Caelan Tiongson scored 23 points for Rain or Shine, which, despite losing Thompson, kept things close until the fourth when Converge was making shots and the Elasto Painters couldn’t execute well on offense to miss outside attempts in the process.
