By REYNALD MAGALLON
The Converge bench celebrated wildly as if it already reached the playoffs when import Scotty Hopson made a two-handed dunk in transition during a huge third quarter onslaught.
No. The FiberXers didn’t clinch a playoff spot just yet. In fact, it was even too early to consider them as contenders.
But for a good change, Converge, which finished dead last in both of the two conferences last season, looked like a more fluid, completely different team right on the first game.
Hopson erupted for 46 points including a perfect 3-of-3 clip from four-point territory as Converge blasted Terrafirma, 127-95, for a scintillating start in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
The FiberXers tore the game apart in the third frame as Hopson and Alec Stockton presided over a 47-18 onslaught that established them a lead that went to as high as 33 points after only taking a 53-49 lead at the half.
The game was practically over from there as the Dyip never really got into a groove to threaten the FiberXers, spoiling the debuts of Stanley Pringle and Christian Standhardinger debut with Terrafirma.
Hopson, who also went 2-of-3 from three, also collared eight rebounds and two blocks in the stellar PBA debut. Stockton added 21 points – 13 of which he fired during the telling third quarter run.
Schonny Winston added 14 while Justin Arana also chopped in 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.
With the win, Converge has joined Meralco and TNT in the win column of the Group A standings.
Pringle seemed to be getting his second wind with Terrafirma firing 19 points, spiked by two four-pointers to go along with seven assists. Standhardinger was equally impressive with 17 points while import Antonio Hester also had a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in a losing cause.
Kevin Ferrer finished with 18 points in his first game back from injury although most of them came when the game was already over and done. Juami Tiongson, meanwhile, struggled with only 10 points to show on a poor 3-of-14 clip from the field including a 0-of-3 from the extended arc.
