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Converge draws first blood in best-of-three QF vs Rain or Shine
Converge gained a head start in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals showdown after earning a 130-118 victory over Rain or Shine on Wednesday, February 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Justin Arana delivered an outstanding performance after recovering from a knee injury that saw the FiberXers overcome a 17-point deficit to win the first game of the best-of-three quarterfinals.
He finished with 22 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
Import Cheick Diallo led the charge, firing 35 markers on top of 17 boards and three rejections in the win which saw him and the FiberXers take advantage of the early withdrawal of Rain or Shine counterpart Deon Thomspon in the third frame due to six fouls.
PHOTO COURTESY: PBA
"It's only Game 1, so we need to close this one out on Friday," said Converge head coach Franco Atienza after the game. "Hopefully, we don't have a slow start on Friday.”
The Elasto Painters, however, remained within striking distance even without Thompson until early in the fourth quarter, when they fell down 104-105, before Arana took control.
Arana scored nine points during a 17–4 run that put Converge ahead 122–108 and helped them seal the win.
Jordan Heading supported Diallo and Arana’s efforts by posting 21 points with nine assists and two blocks for the FiberXers, while Schonny Winston registered 17 markers, pulled down four boards, and dished out four dimes.
Alex Stockton and rookie Justin Baltazar put up 13 points apiece with Baltazar adding six rebounds.
Caelan Tiongson scored 23 points, pulled down three rebounds, and dished out two assists to lead the Elasto Painters. But those numbers were unable to cover the void left by Thompson, who played just under 25 minutes.
Adrian Nocum and Anton Asistio contributed 14 points each in the defeat.
Converge will look to conclude the series and advance to the semifinals when Game 2 unwraps on Friday, February 7, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Scores:
CONVERGE 130 – Diallo 35, Arana 22, Heading 21, Winston 17, Stockton 13, Baltazar 13, Delos Santos 4, Santos 3, Racal 2, Ambohot 0.
RAIN OR SHINE 118 – Tiongson 23, Asistio 14, Nocum 14, Thompson 14, Datu 12, Clarito 10, Ildefonso 9, Caracut 8, Lemetti 6, Belga 5, Santillan 3.
Quarter Scores: 26-39, 64-62, 99-96, 130-118.
