Glen Yang delivered key baskets in the waning minutes as Bay Area survived a gallant fourth quarter stand from Converge to eke out a thrilling 106-100 victory and keep its record spotless through four games in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, Oct. 7.
Yang and Myles Powell starred for the Dragons, unloading key hits down the stretch to keep the FiberXers at bay and retake the solo lead in the standings before the team makes an import switch from Powell to Andrew Nicholson for the next four games of Bay Area as agreed with the PBA.
Powell made sure to exit with a bang with 33 points and eight rebounds while Yang finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists including a layup and a triple that kept the Dragons afloat in front of the searing FiberXers rally.
Bay Area nearly squandered the lead which, at one point, went to as high as many as 22 points, 91-69, as Maverick Ahanmisi suddenly waxed hot from beyond the arc and drilled four three-pointers to anchor a huge 21-8 flurry in the final frame and finally break into the Dragon’s double-digit barrier, 99-90.
Yang kept Bay Area afloat with a layup but Ahanmisi nailed back-to-back triples to pull Converge within five before Yang retaliated with a trey of his own.
Back-to-back hits from RK Ilagan and Quincy Miller helped Converge inch closer, 104-100, but came up dry on their next possessions as Powell put the game to rest with two free throws with 11 seconds left.
Miller led the way for Converge with 38 points and 14 rebounds while Ahanmisi finished with 12 – all of which he scored during the FiberXers fourth quarter run. Allyn Bulanadi and Jeron Teng had 11 each but were not enough as Converge absorbed its second-straight loss for a 1-2 record.