ANTIPOLO - Alec Stockton scored a lay-up with 11.3 seconds in overtime as Converge outclassed TNT, 114-112 in a Sunday thriller in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Center.
Stockton also scored a last gasp basket with 0.4 seconds in regulation to send the game into overtime, and Converge held on to the win to finish the eliminations with an 8-4 win-loss record.
READ: Galinato exits early after headbutting Stockton in altercation
The FiberXers secured the No. 3 seed, while the Tropang 5G finished the elimination round as the No. 4 seed after going down to 7-5.
“The good thing, ‘yung mga bata talagang lumaban,” Converge coach Delta Pineda said. “Hindi nawala sa focus. Kahit lumamang sila, humabol pa rin kami.”
Stockton’s heroics completed a comeback from an 86-71 deficit, with the two-point victory being their largest lead of the contest that had a playoff-like atmosphere.
Henry Galinato was even ejected late in the third quarter after a head butt against Stockton.
The FiberXers will face the No. 2 seed in Group B in a best-of-five quarterfinals.
Cameron Clark had 27 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Juan Gomez de Liano had 22 points and eight assists after registering triple doubles over the past two games.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson played in all but 33 seconds of the ballgame and had 33 points and 11 rebounds for TNT. However, he missed the final attempt of the game that was well-defended by Converge.
The Tropang 5G will go up against the top-seed in Group B in the quarterfinals.
The scores:
Converge 114 – Clark 27, Gomez de Liano 22, Stockton 19, Baltazar 19, Policarpio 10, Abueva 5, Arana 4, Williams 3, Garcia 3, Tungcab 2, Concepcion 0.
TNT 112 – Hollis-Jefferson 33, Heading 21, Oftana 14, Pogoy 12, Nambatac 8, Galinato 6, Ganuelas-Rosser 5, Castro 5, Erram 4, Khobuntin 4.
Quarters: 27-35; 55-56; 74-85; 106-106; 114-112.
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