Meralco now leads Group A after dismantling Converge
The Meralco Bolts are now leading the pack in Group A of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup after dominating the Converge FiberXers, 116-88 yesterday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Meralco, now with a 4-1 record, still played superb even though not yet in full force as key players like Cliff Hodge, Allein Maliksi, Raymond Almazan, and Aaron Black did not play due to injuries.
Allen Durham led the Bolts with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists, while Chris Banchero finished with 24 points, 12 of which came from the second quarter alone.
They also received solid contributions from the likes of Anjo Caram and Alvin Pasaol in the blowout win. Caram had a total of 16 points (11 in the 3rd canto), while Pasaol had 12 markers, 10 of which came in the 2nd half where Meralco led by as much as 30 points.
The FiberXers suffered their third defeat in five games while playing without starting center Justin Arana who sprained his ankle in their previous game. They also lost their back-up center Patrick Maagdenberg during the game when he sustained a knee injury during the game.
Scotty Hopson, who’s been consistent since he reinforced Converge tallied 33 points, grabbed six rebounds and six assists to lead the FiberXers. Alec Stockton and JL delos Santos added 13 and 12 respectively but not enough to bring back the team to life.
The Scores :
MERALCO 116 - Durham 27, Banchero 24, Caram 16, Pasaol 12, Mendoza 10, Cansino 6, Newsom 5, Quinto 5, Jose 5, Rios 3, Bates 2, pascual 1.
CONVERGE 88 - Hopson 33, Stockton 13, Delos Santos 12, AMbohot 10, Santos 8, Winston 5, Maagdenberg 4, Andrade 3, Fleming 0, Racal 0, Nieto 0, Caralipio 0, Melecio 0, Fornilos 0, Cabagnot 0.
QUARTERS: 26-32, 53-50, 86-73, 116-88.
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The Hawks responded in the third canto with a 26–18 run to trim the deficit to just six, 79–73.
Come the fourth and final period, the Magic turned up the heat again, outscoring Atlanta 41–22 to secure the 25-point victory.
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Wendell Carter Jr. anchored the starting unit with 19 markers, seven boards, and two dimes, while Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner filled up the stat sheets despite their struggles from long range, going a combined 0-of-8 from downtown.
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On April 20 (Philippine time), the NBA postseason officially tips off, with 16 teams vying for the coveted 2024–25 NBA Championship.
But before the Playoffs begin, four remaining spots are still up for grabs through the Play-In Tournament.
In the Western Conference, the No. 9 seed Sacramento Kings will take on the No. 10 seed Dallas Mavericks, while the No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors will battle the No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies.
The winner of the 9-vs-10 matchup will then face the loser of the 7-vs-8 game for the right to claim the No. 8 seed in the Playoffs, earning a showdown with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
Meanwhile, the loser of the 9-vs-10 game will be eliminated from contention, while the winner of the 7-vs-8 clash will secure the No. 7 seed and go on to face the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets.
Other first-round matchups in the Western Conference include:
(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) LA Clippers
(3) LA Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
In the Eastern Conference, the Play-In pairings are:
(9) Chicago Bulls vs. (10) Miami Heat
(7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks
The same Play-In format applies: the 9-10 winner plays the 7-8 loser for the final playoff spot. The winner of the 7-8 game becomes the No. 7 seed and will face the No. 2 seed and defending champions, Boston Celtics. The team that claims the No. 8 seed will go up against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.