CONVERGE hurdled grand-slam seeking TNT in a big win that FiberXers interim coach Franco Atienza deemed as passing adversity last Sunday night.
“We give credit to a champion team na talagang pinahirapan kami in this game. We know TNT is a good team. I believe in my heart that even without RHJ (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson), nandoon iyong DNA nila of a winning team,” Atienza said. “We went up by double digits in the first half pero we know they will come back. So, napag-usapan namin sa halftime na maging ready tayo doon kasi hindi basta-basta bibigay ang team na iyan.
“So, iyon nga, nangyari. Nagkaroon ng scoring barrage. It was 32-18 noong third quarter. Napakahirap noon. We talked about it iyong adversity. I mean, two things that we want to improve—consistency and battling adversity,” he added.
The FiberXers essayed a 100-94 victory over the Tropang 5G for their second straight victory in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Atienza was mighty proud of how his charges aced this stern test with flying colors in the face of TNT’s fiery comeback from a 22-point deficit.
“Nasubukan talaga kami toe to toe, possession by possession. Kailangan namin maka-stop, kailangan namin umiscore. Makakuha ka na mga dikit diyan, mga dalawa, tatlong stops tapos maka-score ka in between those, medyo kumukuha ka ng pad,” Atienza said. “So, at least iyon ang nangyari towards the endgame. For a young team like ours, malaking bagay iyong ganitong close game na masusubukan ka talaga against adversity.
“I think naipasa namin ito against a back-to-back champion team.”
Twin towers Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar formed a lethal frontcourt duo for Converge, which also got a big lift from Schonny Winston and Alec Stockton.
Arana turned in a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds, to go with five assists while Baltazar also hit double-digits in scoring and the battle off the glass with 21 markers and 12 boards.
Winston and Stockton had 19 each as Converge kept the gains from a 111-80 mauling of Blackwater last April 11 and raised its mark to 4-2.
The Tropang 5G failed to atone for a similarly disappointing 74-91 defeat to the NLEX Road Warriors last week and fell to 0-2.
Baltazar emphasized the importance of preparing hard for their opponents.
“Magiging ready lang ako kasi itong TNT, alam naman natin na malakas na team so kailangan namin takbuhan, kailangan namin maging aggressive dito,” he said. “So, iyon na, iyong fourth quarter kailangang hindi kami bumitaw kasi doon kami nagka-problema. So iyon, magiging ready lang talaga kami.”
And the FiberXers’ next foe? The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, their tormentors in the quarterfinals of the last conference, tomorrow at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
