PBA: TNT relishes important win against ‘elite’ Converge

MANILA, Philippines—TNT’s win over the “elite” Convergent in the PBA Governor’s Cup is a good measure of progress for the team, according to coach Jojo Lastimosa.

After Tropang Giga’s 128-122 win over FiberXers on Wednesday, Lastimosa said he considers the Aldin Ayo-led squad to be the top level team in the conference in a way that matches the best in the league.

“He is the one who is really trying to get in with the elite San Miguel group. Also Meralco and Magnolia. Magnolia is struggling but he is always consistent with the place in terms of record,” said Lastimosa.

“It’s nice to beat a team we haven’t beaten,” he said.

Before the loss, Converge had a four-game winning streak and was tied with San Miguel and NLEX for an unbeaten streak.

Magnolia, currently struggling in tenth place with three losses in as many games.

TNT’s next stop will be against Terrafirma, which may not be a huge threat with 1-2 cards. But Lastimosa says it will be just as important as the match against Converge.

“If you look at the next match, we know that there are two teams to beat. We cannot lose any of them. This is important but the next one is also important,” he said

IMMEDIATE THREAT

What makes the current 4-1 team elite is Converge’s ability to play efficiently at speed, Lastimosa said.

FiberXers scored 27 rushing points, a big jump compared to Tropang Giga’s 15. They also scored 17 points off TNT’s 16 turnovers.

“He is used to playing fast, but the best thing is that we can keep pace with him during the match,” said the top coach.

“I just think they fought hard. It might not show on the score sheet, but every point we got, we got it,” he said.

Converge’s outing was fueled by Jamaal Franklin, who had a triple-double after registering 47 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.

Jalen Hudson, however, reigned supreme in the import matchup with 56 markers, 12 boards and four dimes.

Read Next

For suggestions, complaints, or questions, please contact us.