THE imports took center stage in a PBA Governors’ Cup double-header at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday night.
Scotty Hopson drained the first-ever game-winning 4-point shot to help Converge come back from a 16-point deficit and stun TNT, 96-95.
Then good old hand Justin Brownlee dropped 51 points – a new career-high – against San Miguel in Barangay Ginebra’s 108-102 victory in the main game.
Here are the takeaways on a rainy game day as the season-opening conference enters Week 2.
THE POWER OF THE 4-POINTER
The potential of the 4-point shot as a powerful offensive weapon was in full display in the FiberXers’ come-from-behind win over the Tropang Giga. Hopson, the former NBA player who once scored 52 points in the G. League, saved the day for Converge when he knocked down a fadeaway 4-pointer while trying to elude the outstretched arm of a rushing Glenn Khobuntin with 4.8 seconds to go, giving his team the lead and the win after Rondae Hollis-Jefferson missed on a game-winning drive in TNT’s final play.
A mixed bag of reactions came to be when the league first announced the adoption of the 4-point rule for the coming Season 49, with some in favor and some otherwise. Expect more of the same in the aftermath of the FiberXers’ dramatic victory.
HOPSON SHOWING THE WAY IN 4-POINT SHOOTING
If there’s a player whose been making a killing from the 27-foot arc, it’s none other than the 35-year-old Converge import.
So far, he’s been 5-of-7 from the 4-point line and was actually 3-of-3 from the same distance in the FiberXers’ debut game, a 127-95 victory over Terrafirma where he finished with 46 points.
WELCOME BACK TO MANILA, JB
Ginebra played its first game of the season in Candon, Ilocos Sur, so its win over previously undefeated San Miguel marked the first time Brownlee played for the Gin Kings at the Smart Araneta Coliseum since April of 2023, the finals of the Governors’ Cup.
The 36-year-old Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player made his comeback in style, erupting for a new career-high 51 points as he got the better of fellow import Jordan Adams of the Beermen. The Ginebra resident import was 18-of-29 from the field, while also adding 13 rebounds, five assists, and six steals.
CABAGGIE STILL SERVICEABLE AT AGE 41
Alex Cabagnot played his first significant game in a Converge uniform against TNT. The veteran guard finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes of action, and was part of the FiberXers’ closing unit opposite the Tropang Giga.
He even had a crucial three-point play off a foul by longtime rival Jayson Castro that put his team in front, 92-91, in the final 31 seconds. The nine-time PBA champion made his return to the PBA following his stint with the Taiwan Mustangs in The Asian Tournament. He was signed to a one-year contract by Converge as a free agent.
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