QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Converge and Barangay Ginebra look to secure their respective semifinal tickets as the PBA Season 50 quarterfinals resume at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, November 6.
Coming off a dominant 105-89 victory over the Elasto Painters, the Converge FiberXers aim to seal the series and claim their first-ever Final Four appearance since entering the league in 2022.
The opening tip-off for the second game is set at 7:30 p.m., with head coach Delta Pineda’s squad focusing heavily on maintaining its defensive intensity.
“I think Gov (Pineda) would always preach na the big adjustment for us this game is to emphasize defense and it showed. We were able to limit the big names, the import, Fuller and Nocum, he had a triple-double but we were able to just kind of contain him,” noted Converge star Juan Gomez de Liaño.
“Hopefully we continue to do the right things heading to Game 4,” he added.
Despite facing a resilient Rain or Shine team that boasts significant postseason experience—having reached six semifinals in the last six conferences—Converge stands just one win away from a historic breakthrough.
In the 5:15 p.m. opener, Barangay Ginebra takes its second attempt to eliminate San Miguel Beer after dropping a narrow 101-98 decision in Game 3. The Gin Kings nearly secured the series sweep on a potential game-winning four-pointer by RJ Abarrientos in the dying seconds, but the veteran-laden Beermen fended off elimination.
Ginebra head coach Tim Cone remains optimistic despite the setback, highlighting his squad’s resilience.
“There were a lot of reasons for us to kinda just quit and let the game go and look forward to Game 5 but our guys continued to battle and got ourselves a chance to a point where we could have won,” Cone said.
Abarrientos, Jordan Murphy, and Scottie Thompson will once again spearhead Ginebra’s charge, while June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, and Chris Ross anchor San Miguel as both powerhouses battle for a spot in the next round.