WANTING TO BELONG
Converge is eager to step up to the plate and embrace the challenge of completing its quest to come back from a 0-2 deficit and defeat mighty San Miguel Beer in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals.
“We got nothing to lose,” Alec Stockton told The Inquirer as the FiberXers and the Beermen square off one last time this conference in Sunday’s deciding Game 5 at Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
The winner in the 7:30 p.m. contest will earn the right to face Barangay Ginebra in the best-of-seven semifinals, a level that the young Converge franchise has not reached since replacing the iconic Alaska Aces two years ago.
I fact, the semifinals was nothing more than a pipe dream in the second half of Game 3 when the FiberXers’ exit from the season-opening conference was a mere formality with the Beermen up by 27 points.
But the San Miguel meltdown that ended with Stockton’s buzzer-beater led from one win to another, with Converge taking Game 4 two nights ago by taking a 114-100 result at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
It was a convincing performance for the FiberXers as Stockton, Justin Arana, import Jalen Jones, King Caralipio, Bryan Santos and Schonny Winston, who scored 26 points, frustrated the supposedly-composed Beermen.
Losing cool
San Miguel spent most of the night losing its cool, not only with the officiating, its on-court play but even with themselves, as epitomized by an exchange between Chris Ross and consultant Leo Austria during one huddle that was caught on video by the PBA’s social media team.
Coach Jorge Gallent and his staff spent an enormous time outside the San Miguel locker room figuring out what went wrong, and the expectation was that the Beermen will have more time during the lull to iron out massive kinks.
“We’re not supposed to be here,” said Stockton. “But we gave ourselves a chance, so might as well go for the win and get the franchise’s first semifinals berth.”
Experience will be San Miguel’s advantage, but Converge is determined to not let its relative inexperience get in the way, with a lot at stake.
The conference has been filled with memorable moments for the FiberXers, who won a total of three games out of 22 during the 2023-24 season.
Apart from two four-point game-winners by original import Scotty Hopson, who had to be replaced after going down with an injury, there was that late streak that sent the FiberXers to the playoffs. Converge lost the first two games of the quarterfinals, but not without giving San Miguel, led by import EJ Anosike and June Mar Fajardo, fits.
“We’re one of the youngest teams in the PBA and it’s a big thing for us to be in this situation. Hopefully we can get this Game 5 so that we can repay the faith of those running our franchise,” Justin Arana also told The Inquirer in Filipino.
The deciding Game 5 between Rain or Shine and Magnolia was being played at presstime, with the victor heading to the semis to face Group A winner TNT, which eliminated NLEX.
