Converge vs Rain or Shine went the way of the FiberXers on Tuesday in Cavite, where Converge took Game 3, 105-98, and with it a 2-1 lead in their PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup quarterfinals series.
Converge vs Rain or Shine take the series edge
Converge joined the league four years ago and has never reached a semifinals. Friday's Game 4 gives the franchise its first real chance to close one out.
Rain or Shine now sits on the brink of elimination after conceding the series lead in a game it had kept within reach for three quarters.
Juan Gomez de Liaño and Cameron Clark carry the closeout
Gomez de Liaño put up 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Import Cameron Clark added 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Justine Baltazar chipped in 15.
Jonnel Policarpio and Calvin Abueva scored 13 apiece as Converge spread the load across five double-figure scorers.
The separation came midway through the fourth. Clark knocked down back-to-back jumpers to push the FiberXers to a 94-79 lead, and Gomez de Liaño followed with a triple and then a four-point shot that made it 105-86 with 1:49 remaining.
The final frame told the story defensively: Converge held Rain or Shine to 14 points on 5-of-20 shooting from the field while scoring 23 of its own. That is the kind of quarter that decides a short series.
Why Converge slowed the pace
Converge head coach Delta Pineda said the third quarter changed the plan, and his team chose control over a foot race.
"Nag-slow break kami nu'ng third quarter so ayaw naming sabay sa bilis nila. We needed to control our offense and we needed to play defense," Pineda said.
In English: Converge deliberately slowed its breaks in the third quarter because it did not want to trade pace with Rain or Shine, and instead prioritized controlling its offense and defending.
What's next in the quarterfinals
Game 4 is set for Friday, when Converge can book the first semifinals appearance in franchise history and end the series. Rain or Shine has already shown in this matchup that it can come back from a large deficit, having erased a 21-point gap to win the quarterfinal opener.
The original report on this game comes from gmanetwork.com.
