TNT came prepared for Converge's usual uptempo style of play Friday.
So the FiberXers poured in the points from an unexpected source in pulling down the Tropang Giga were simply not prepared for the FiberXers' torrid shooting from deep that led to the latter's 130-117 victory in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Aside from a solid ball movement that netted it 34 assists, Converge also notched another franchise record 21 three-pointers (out of 40 attempts) to not only seize full control of the match as early as the opening period but also build up its lead to as high as 91-56 in the third period.
Winning coach Aldin Ayo said his team's drastic turnaround from a squad that only shot 32 percent from beyond the arc in its first five games and was outscored by TNT 26-18 in fastbreak points was the outcome of his players' tireless work during shootarounds.
"They deserve it. During practice all of these players just keep on shooting. Hindi naman iyan basta-basta mangyayari na lang e. It's all about the preparation," explained Ayo.
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Aside from dealing TNT its third loss in six games, there were other fruits harvested by Converge.
The FiberXers posted a 43-point first quarter output and 73 at the half which were also both franchise and league highs before ultimately re-setting their previous highest output of 112 with a whole period to spare.
Quincy Miller was at the forefront of the sustained attack and eventually finished with 38 points, anchored on nine triples, and also pulled down 20 rebounds and assisted five times as the FiberXers notched their third straight win and improved to 4-2 overall.
There was a slight scare offered by the Tropa when they pulled to within 117-126 with still 1:16 to go, but the threat was quickly dispelled when Jeron Teng trickled in a shotclock-beater and Justin Arana turned a Miller steal into a layup to peg the final score, only 33 ticks left.
His team seemingly turning complacent was the only thing that displeased Ayo in the end. "We have a tendency to deviate from our gameplan every time we have good leads, big leads," he said.
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"So iyon ang nagiging problema, nag-re-relax sa depensa. Siguro doon nagpapahinga. I know that we get tired in our offense because we keep on running," added Ayo.
"The problem is, doon kami nagpapahinga sa depensa. So iyon ang kailangan naming i-address kasi if we can not keep up our defense magkaka-problema kami sa opensa namin."
Cameron Oliver led all scorers with 41 points on top of 11 rebounds while Mikey Williams added 27 points and Roger Pogoy 19 for TNT, which takes on another youth-laden team in Phoenix Super LPG Sunday. (NC)
The Scores:
Converge 130 - Miller 38, Teng 22, Melecio 20, Arana 14, DiGregorio 13, Ahanmisi 8, Ilagan 5, Tratter 5, Stockton 3, Racal 2, Hill 0, Bulanadi 0.
TNT 117 - Oliver 41, M.Williams 27, Pogoy 19, Montalbo 13, Castro 9, Oftana 4, K.Williams 3, Erram 1, Tungcab 0, Marcelo 0.
Quarters: 43-24, 73-47, 113-85, 130-117
