ROOKIE William Navarro came up with a breakout game yesterday as NorthPort dispatched an all-Filipino Converge crew 112-97 and boosted its drive for a playoff spot in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Navarro had new highs of 29 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists, leading a third-quarter surge that set the tone for the crucial win at the expense of the Quincy Miller-less FiberXers.
The Batang Pier stretched their winning streak to three games and kept their hold of fifth spot at 6-5 overall while stopping the seven-game winning skein of roll of Converge, which slipped to 8-3.
The FiberXers benched Miller after he missed team practice after a night of celebration for his 30th birthday recently.
“We’re expecting na full force sila but eventually ‘yung import nila, hindi naglaro. Naging favorable for us. But with or without import, ready kami,” said NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio.
Navarro had 16 in a fiery performance coming off the halftime break as NorthPort broke out of a 52-49 count and grabbed an 88-73 tear.
Equally important were the solid performances of Robert Bolick, who had 26 with 10 assists and six boards, and Prince Ibeh, who scored 19 points along with 15 rebounds and eight blocks. Arvin Tolentino added 15 points while Roi Sumang ad nine.
“It was a total team effort. Everybody was focused on defense and on offense, they shared the ball. ‘Yun talaga ang game plan. Na-execute namin and we got the win. Now we have three in a row and we have a chance to make the playoffs,” said Jarencio.
With Miller out, Aljun Melecio took charge for Converge with 20 points while Jeron Teng added 14.
Miller would have been a big help for Converge, having averaged 30.7 points, 16.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3 blocks before his enforced sit-out.
“Kasama si Miller sa scouting report namin. Eventually, hindi naglaro kahit naka-uniform. But still, Converge is a fighting team. Lumalaban talaga sila up to the last minute kaya hindi pwedeng mag-relax,” said Jarencio.
The FiberXers remained stuck at No. 3, trailing Bay Area (9-2) and Magnolia (8-2) in the race for the coveted Top 2 slots and twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs.
