San Miguel Rallies to Beat Converge, 96–90, for Third Straight Win
San Miguel Beermen once again showed the heart of a champion, clawing back from a 12-point first-half deficit to defeat the Converge FiberXers, 96–90, in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup on Sunday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
The defending champions, who started the conference with two losses, have now strung together three straight wins — following up their overseas victory against Barangay Ginebra in Dubai — to improve to 3–2 and move within striking distance of the top four.
Reigning nine-time MVP June Mar Fajardo led the way for San Miguel with a dominant 24-point, 16-rebound double-double along with four assists and two blocks, while Juami Tiongson came alive in the fourth quarter, firing all of his 14 points in that decisive stretch to earn Player of the Game honors.
The Beermen’s veteran composure proved key in the endgame. After Converge trimmed the deficit to just one, 76–75, early in the fourth, Tiongson spearheaded a 12–5 run that gave San Miguel an 88–80 cushion. Fajardo then hit a free throw to push the lead to double digits, 92–82, with under four minutes to play.
Converge made one last stand behind Justine Baltazar, whose triple cut the gap to six, 92–86, with 2:45 left. But Mo Tautuaa quickly responded with a clutch three-pointer that effectively sealed the game. Despite late buckets from Justin Arana and Baltazar, the FiberXers ran out of time, dropping to 3–2 after back-to-back losses.
(Video from the YouTube Channel of One Sports)
Baltazar was a force on the boards, tallying 14 points and 19 rebounds, while Arana notched 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Deschon Winston led Converge in scoring with 20 points and tallied seven rebounds, four assists, and a steal, but his efforts weren’t enough to overcome San Miguel’s efficiency.
Statistically, Converge had the edge in several categories — outrebounding San Miguel 58–50, dishing out 24 assists to 19, and grabbing 10 steals to SMB’s 7. However, the FiberXers struggled with their shooting, converting only 35.2% from the field compared to the Beermen’s 46.1%.
With the victory, San Miguel climbed above .500 for the first time this season and looks to extend its winning streak when it faces the Magnolia Hotshots on Friday, November 7.
Meanwhile, Converge will aim to bounce back against Blackwater Bossing on Saturday, November 8.
The Scores:
San Miguel 96 – Fajardo 24, Tiongson 14, Perez 13, Tautuaa 9, Teng 7, Rosales 7, Cruz 6, Rosales 6, Brondial 6, Calma 5, Lassiter 4, Miller 2, Ross 0,
Converge 90 – Winston 20, Arana 19, Baltazar 14, Concepcion 9, Gomez de Liano 8, Muyang 6, Stockton 6, Muyang 6, Garcia 4, Javillonar 4, Delos Santos 0, Santos 0, Clemente 0, Eguilos 0, Racal 0
Quarter Scores: 20-28, 47-49, 69-66, 96-90
