The Converge FiberXers torched the hoop with their impeccable shooting and played their best game of the season, setting several league records following a 130-117 mauling of the Talk N Text Tropang Giga in the 2022-2023 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Converge’s fourth straight win in seven games installed the FiberXers at third place.
Their total points scored is the season’s second biggest output in a game, after the Bay Area Dragons’ 133-87 crushing over Blackwater.
In all, Converge sank 21 three-pointers of the 40 they attempted, matching the seventh all-time high in a game.
“Very important win for us. It’s about how we play. Sabi ko sa kanila, kahit gaano kalaki ang lamang, we have to hold on,” said FiberXers’ coach Aldin Ayo, who reminded the team of its tendency to relax whenever they have a big lead.
The FiberXErs converted eight of 12 three-point attempts in the first period, with three coming from import Quincy Miller during a six-minute span as they widened an 11-10 edge to 36-20 in the remaining 2:20 of the quarter.
They eventually grabbed a 43-24 lead at the end of the first canto, a season and franchise-high, while their 73-47 halftime advantage is the year’s second best.
Miller ended the game with 38 points, to go with 20 rebounds, five assists and a steal, which Jeric Teng ably backed up with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
The most points scored for a 24-minute half took place when NLEX made 74 in the second half of their 105-102 triumph over Terrafirma last June 8.
The 6’10” Miller also banged in 12 points in the third as Converge established a 113-85 spread, aside from making nine of his 14 three-point attempts, the most by an import in a game in more than seven years.
In recent years, the last time a team was this good shooting threes was when the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters had 22 treys in their 110-103 triumph over San Miguel Beer on Nov. 5, 2020 during their bubble encounter in the Philippine Cup in Clark Field, Pampanga.