Standhardinger flirts with triple-double as Gin Kings take down FiberXers
Brgy. Ginebra secured their spot in the playoffs and boosted their chances for a twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup quarterfinals with a convincing 105-93 victory over Converge at the Aquilino Pimentel Jr. International Convention Center on Saturday.
Christian Standhardinger had a standout performance, scoring 33 points and coming close to a triple-double with 12 boards and 9 assists.
Maverick Ahanmisi and Scottie Thompson also put up strong all-around numbers, contributing to the Gin Kings’ fourth consecutive win and securing at least a tie for second place in the Philippine Cup eliminations with a 7-3 record.
On the other hand, Converge missed an opportunity to build on their previous upset win over the Meralco Bolts and fell to a 1-9 record. Despite this, Coach Aldin Ayo’s team still has a chance to end their campaign on a positive note when they face the TNT Tropang Giga on May 1.
The crowd darlings now have a firm grip on second place but faces a crucial matchup against the NLEX Road Warriors on May 5.
Ahanmisi impressed with 17 points, including four three-pointers, and added seven assists and six rebounds. Thompson, returning to form after an injury, contributed 10 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
The trio of Standhardinger, Ahanmisi, and Thompson played key roles in Ginebra’s dominant 35-21 run after being tied at 48-all at halftime.
Ralph Cu (13 points), Japeth Aguilar (12 points), and Nard Pinto (10 points) also made significant contributions as the Gin Kings overcame Alec Stockton’s 32-point performance for Converge.
Justin Arana (18 points) and Aljun Melecio (10 points) were also standouts for the FiberXers in the losing effort.
The scores:
Brgy. Ginebra 105 – Standhardinger 33, Ahanmisi 17, Cu 13, J.Aguilar 12, Thompson 10, Pinto 10, Murrell 3, Pringle 3, Pessumal 3, Gumaru 1, David 0, Onwubere 0, Tenorio 0, R.Aguilar 0.
Converge 93 – Stockton 32, Arana 18, Melecio 10, Winston 9, Delos Santos 7, Maagdenberg 7, Santos 5, Caralipio 2, Fornilos 2, Flores 1, Nieto 0.
Quarterscores: 24-21, 48-48, 83-69, 105-93.
