The Converge PBA semifinals wait is over. The FiberXers booked their first-ever Final Four appearance by beating Rain or Shine, 120-109, in Game 4 of their PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup quarterfinal series on Friday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Mikey Williams finished with 17 points, and none mattered more than the back-to-back triples that shoved Converge ahead, 115-107, with 2:42 remaining. Those baskets came out of a frenetic back-and-forth stretch and, in the report's phrasing, blew the wind out of the Elasto Painters' sails. Cam Clark then applied the finishing touches, and the FiberXers erupted in jubilation when the buzzer rang.
Mikey Williams takes the late shots
The two-time champion's burst was the difference in a game Converge could not shake loose until the final three minutes. His pair of triples turned a tight contest into an eight-point cushion, and Rain or Shine did not answer it.
Calvin Abueva lost to technical fouls
Converge had to close without Calvin Abueva, who was lost to technical fouls at the 4:16 mark of the third quarter. The FiberXers still steadied themselves, with Williams and Clark carrying the minutes that followed.
Converge PBA semifinals berth is a franchise first
Converge entered the league in 2022 and had never reached the semifinals before this series. The Game 4 win closes out the quarterfinal matchup with Rain or Shine. The report did not name Converge's semifinal opponent.
Analysis: why the closing stretch held
This section is analysis. The number that matters here is not the 17 points but the clock: 2:42, an eight-point lead, a team missing Abueva and needing someone to stop the game from turning into a track meet. Williams' back-to-back threes did that job, and Clark's late work protected it. For a franchise chasing a first semifinal, having a two-time champion take those shots is the difference between a series ending Friday and one going back on the road.
The original report on this game appears at tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
