CONVERGE slumped to an alarming fourth straight loss on Wednesday night after it was defeated by San Miguel in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup.
The FiberXers' losing skid began when they were also beaten by the Beermen last July 22, as they now find themselves at 3-4 heading into the stretch run of the group stage.
READ: King drops 46 to lead San Miguel past skidding Converge
So far, Converge has not won against any team at or over .500 in Group A - and its last victory came against lowly Macau, 149-124, last July 17.
Nonetheless, star guard Juan Gomez de Liano felt the FiberXers had a chance to win the game even after they were outscored by SMB, 37-21, in the third quarter for a 102-85 lead.
“I think we just kinda fold towards the end,” he told reporters after the defeat. “In the first three quarters, nandoon naman kami. We struggled a bit, having a good start in the second half. I think those are the main problems as a team.”
As Converge yet again goes back to the drawing board, GDL admitted ending the losing streak - now more than ever - rests upon the players and their roles on the team.
“I think for us, we just have to know our roles and accept it and work towards our roles,” he said. “We have a lot of great players that can do a lot and do damage. But then, that’s the thing, if you have a stacked lineup, you have to figure out what your role is, what’s your purpose in the team and just work towards that.”
“Chemistry-wise, I don’t think we lack chemistry. Like I said, we just fell short in the end.”
Starts with Juan
Gomez de Liano said he is taking it upon himself to know and accept his role, which is why he is already taking the lead at point. He nearly had a triple-double against the Beermen with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
“For sure, if no one is going to adjust, I’ll be the one. That’s the way I play. I know to do whatever the team needs, and I think that’s my role here: to be that point guard we kinda lack, facilitate, make the right plays, and get my teammates going,” he said.
“That’s just me being the leader of this team. I’m willing to sacrifice. That was the same situation when I was in college,” he added, looking back to his time in the University of the Philippines where he was part of a likewise stacked lineup that included Kobe Paras, Ricci Rivero, and brother Javi GDL, among others.
Despite their struggles during the first seven games, Juan GDL remains upbeat about the FiberXers finishing the eliminations on a high.
“We’ve been struggling. We lost four straight games. I think we just need to regroup, head back to the drawing board, take a day off tomorrow, and find ways to get into our rhythm back and win games,” he said.
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