Mga laro ngayon:
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Magnolia
7:30 p.m. – Ginebra vs Terrafirna
BUMAWI si Cheick Diallo at pinangunahan ang Converge sa 102-91 panalo laban sa NLEX sa PBA Commissioner’s Cup kagabi sa Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Kumamada si Diallo ng 37 points at 18 rebounds upang tulungan ang FiberXers na umangat sa 3-2 record at nakabawi siya mula sa dalawang malamyang laro kung saan may average lamang siya na 11.5 points.
Ang panalo ay una rin para kay top rookie pick Justine Baltazar makaraang matalo sa kanyang debut game kontra NorthPort noong nakaraang linggo.
“Good bounced back game for CD. He proved his worth right here,” wika ni Converge coach Franco Atienza patungkol sa 28-year-old import, na isang dating NBA player.
“We’re least bit worried about having his numbers because this is a great league, and sometimes you get scouted, and teams plan for you. Right now it just so happened that we’re getting him, we’re seeing him, and guys are feeding off his strength.”
Naitala ni Diallo ang 12 sa kanyang output sa fourth period kung saan nagsalitan sila ni Alec Stockton sa pagsagot sa bawat rally ng NLEX rally na pinangunahan nina import Mike Watkins at Robert Bolick.
Tumapos si Stockton na may 15 points, nakumpleto ni rookie Jordan Heading ang double-double na 14 points at 11 rebounds sa perfect 2-of-2 shooting mula sa three-point range, habang nag-ambag si King Caralipio ng 10.
Ang mga numerong ito ay sapat para mapunan ang nalikom ni Baltazar na 4 points, 7 rebounds, at 4 assists.
Gayunman ay hindi nag-aalala si Franco sa hindi pa pagprodyus ng rookie ng inaasahan mula sa kanya.
“If you look at the stats, medyo sasabihin ninyong it’s not good. But we always look at it in a bigger picture. Right now he had not the usual stats that he gets from his previous team. But overall, napakaganda ng presence niya sa loob,” aniya.
“He gives us added ceiling inside. He gives us added muscle inside. He was almost double digit in rebounds, and he attracts attention. And the attention that he gets, nao-overflow naman yun, kaya nagkakaroon ng opening yung mga guards namin.”
Nalasap ng Road Warriors ang ikalawang sunod na kabiguan upang mahulog sa 3-3 sa kabila na nakakuha ng 36 points at 23 rebounds mula kay Watkins at 26 points kay Bolick.
CLYDE MARIANO
Iskor:
Converge (102) — Diallo 37, Stockton 16, Heading 14, Caralipio 10, Winston 8, Racal 6, Baltazar 4, Arana 4, Santos 3, Delos Santos 0, Cabagnot 0, Nieto 0.
NLEX (91) — Watkins 36, Bolick 26, Semerad 8, Alas 7, Amer 4, Torres 4, Valdez 2, Rodger 2, Herndon 2, Bahio 0, Policarpio 0.
Quarterscores: 28-18; 52-44; 77-72; 102-91.
