Converge hands TNT second straight loss in Philippine Cup


Converge FiberXers' Justine Baltazar during a PBA Philippine Cup against TNT Tropang Giga.

Converge FiberXers’ Justine Baltazar during a PBA Philippine Cup against TNT Tropang Giga. –PBA IMAGES

ANTIPOLO—Converge sent Grand Slam-seeking TNT reeling to a 0-2 start in the PBA Philippine Cup after putting up a 100-94 victory on Sunday at Ynares Center here.

Rookie Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana each had a double-double to lead the FiberXers to victory at the expense of the Tropang 5G side, that extended their rough patch in their quest to complete a sweep of all three conferences of Season 49.

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READ: PBA: Converge crushes Blackwater by 31 to earn second win

Arana topscored with 22 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and added five rebounds even as Baltazar scored a season-high 21 on top of 12 rebounds for Converge.

Schonny Winston added 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals as Alec Stockton also made 19.

The FiberXers led by 22 before going into the half ahead 53-35, before thwarting the Tropang 5G’s second straight comeback try.

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Converge FiberXers' Justin Arana PBA Philippine CupConverge FiberXers' Justin Arana PBA Philippine Cup

Converge FiberXers’ Justin Arana. –PBA IMAGES

Calvin Oftana dropped a game-high of 33, but TNT couldn’t bounce back from its rough loss to NLEX last Wednesday.

RR Pogoy added 15 a few days after his wife gave birth to their second child, a baby boy named Roger Rayn.

The Tropang 5G got to within six, 76-70, but the FiberXers always had answers, led by the frontline duo of Baltazar and Arana.

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TNT is 0-2 for the second straight conference, but is hoping to replicate the same turnaround it had in the Commissioner’s Cup. Its next game is Friday against Phoenix in Montalban.

Converge returns to action Wednesday by facing off with Rain or Shine in a rematch of their Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinal series that the Elasto Painters won in the deciding Game 3.



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