ANTIPOLO - Converge made a strong case for a Top 2 finish in the PBA Commissioner's Cup elimination phase by thrashing Blackwater, 127-109, Sunday at the Ynares Center.
The FiberXers got huge numbers from top rookies Jordan Heading and Justine Baltazar, and import Cheick Diallo, who all finished with 20-plus points each and led the team to its eighth win in 11 outings as it closes in to a possible twice-to-beat advantage going to the playoffs.
Converge grabbed solo second place behind league leader TNT (6-2).
Heading had a team-high 22 points on 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range, Dialo came through with a double-double of 20 and 18 rebounds, while Baltazar, the top rookie pick in the last draft, finished with a conference-high 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"Lahat naman ng teams gusto yung ganung incentive. Napaka-gandang incentive nun sa playoffs," said Converge coach Franco Atienza of the team's best bid of earning a first ever twice-to-beat edge in franchise history.
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The FiberXers will have defending champion San Miguel Beermen for their final outing on Friday.
"For us, we will just take care of the present. And right now the present for us is San Miguel. Yun ang last game namin sa eliminations," said Atienza.
"Pero kahit naman manalo kami dun, marami pang puwedeng (mangyari). May bearing pa rin naman yung ibang games din. So ayaw naming dumating sa point na we didn't take care of something that we could have taken care of."
Three other players also scored in double figures for Converge as Alec Stockton contributed 19 points and JL Delos Santos and Deschon Winston had 10 each.
Do-it-all import George King again showed the way for Blackwater with 34 points - spiked by four shots from the four-point line - 13 rebounds, and six assists, while getting major contributions from Jaydee Tungcab (20 points) and Justine Chua (15).
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Tungcab scored all of his 20 points in the first half, including 18 in the second quarter as he prevented Converge from pulling away early on.
The Bossing actually battled their way back from a 78-58 deficit early in the third period to make a fight out of it, 93-86.
Still, it was just a matter of time before the FiberXers blew the Bossing away to clinch the one-sided win.
Blackwater fell to a 2-8 record and on the brink of being eliminated for the second straight conference. (RG)
The scores
Converge (127) -- Heading 22, Baltazar 20, Diallo 20, Stockton 19, Delos Santos 10, Winston 10, Santos 8, Nieto 8, Arana 7, Racal 3, Caralipio 0, Andrade 0.
Blackwater (109) -- King 34, Tungcab 20, Chua 16, David 14, Kwekuteye 10, Casio 6, Corteza 4, Ponferrada 3, Guinto 2, Montalbo 0, Ayonayon 0, Jopia 0.
Quarterscores: 33-26; 70-56; 97-88; 127-109.
