Quincy Miller, Converge torch TNT with 21 treys
Converge showed stronger connection from long distance against TNT, drilling 21 three-pointers to run away with a dominant 130-117 victory in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, Oct. 28.
The FiberXers put their feet on the gas pedal and never looked back, beating the Tropang Giga black and blue with their torrid outside shooting and blitzing fastbreak attack to build a lead that went to as high as 34 points to move up to the third spot of the standings with a 4-2 record.
Converge torched TNT with 21 triples – tied for the seventh all-time for most three-pointers in a game – with import Quincy Miller leading the assault, nailing nine treys on his way to a 38-point explosion apart from his 20 rebounds and five assists.
His scintillating shooting display was also the most for an import in a game in more than seven years or since Arizona Reid of San Miguel Beer made the same number of three-pointers in 2015.
Jeron Teng also joined the party, finishing with 22 points on a 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc while Aljun Melecio added 20 built on three triples. Mike DiGregorio also drilled two long bombs to chip in 13 while Justin Arana manned the paint with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Converge also notched plenty of franchise records in the 23-point win, scoring its most points in the quarter with 43 during the opening frame, most points in a half with 73 at the break, most assists in a game with 34 and most points total in a game with 130 -- equalling the second most points scored by a team this season behind Bay Area’s 133 and 130 against Blackwater and Terrafirma, respectively.
Head coach Aldin Ayo credited the franchise-best performance of his team to his charges finally getting more comfortable to the system he is imploring with the FiberXers.
“That game was our sixth game slowly naa-absorb na ng mga players yung ginagawa namin especially yung approach sa laro. It's different when everybody knows it that we're going to keep the pace and yun ang nakukuha na ng mga players. The shots na ginigive ng depensa every time we run they're getting better on it,” said Ayo.
He, however, refused to get too carried away with the victory as he believes his team still has a lot of room for improvements especially on the defensive end.
“We had the tendency to divert from our game plan everytime we have big leads so yun ang nagiging problema. Nagre-relax sa depensa. I know we get tired on offense because we are running but the problem is dun kami nagpapahinga sa depensa so yun yung mga kailangan namin iaddress,” he added.
The FiberXers played like a well-oiled machine, pulling away in the final five minutes of the opening frame with DiGregorio and Miller unleashing a three-point barrage to build a 36-20 lead from a close 24-20 count halfway through the frame.
Converge went on with its searing rally in the second quarter when it further padded the lead to 26, 73-47. TNT never really threatened the rest of the way despite Cameron Oliver carrying the fight with 41 points and 11 rebounds while Mikey Williams added 25 points spiked by his own splendid shooting of seven triples.