MANILA – Converge and NLEX climbed into a share of the top spot in PBA Philippine Cup standings after posting wins on Wednesday night, Oct. 22, 2025, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Behind another triple-double from Gomez de Liaño, the FiberXers ripped the Terrafirma Dyip, 125-108, in the first game.
In a showdown between standout rookies, Gomez de Liaño got the better of JM Bravo. Both led the charge for their respective teams in the first quarter, but Bravo briefly had the edge as the Dyip took a 30-29 lead.
However, the other FiberXers stepped up as the game continued and gradually pulled away from the Dyip.
Alec Stockton finished with 22 points, three rebounds, five assists, four steals, and one block to lead Converge, which moved up to 2-1 after bouncing back from a Saturday night loss to TNT in Vigan.
Gomez de Liaño, the first rookie ever to achieve a triple-double in his PBA debut, notched his second in just three games, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists along with two steals.
Justin Arana put up 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and one block, while Balti Baltazar chipped in 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, 11 rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
John Lloyd Clemente, in his PBA debut, and Larry Muyang, making a return to the top-tier pro league, each contributed 10 points off the bench.
Jerrick Ahanmisi led Terrafirma with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, two rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Bravo finished with 13 markers, six boards, one dime, two blocks, and one steal, but he was held to only four points after the first quarter.
In the nightcap, the Road Warriors beat the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 87-81, behind a stellar game from Kevin Alas.
Alas led NLEX with 26 points - including a clutch jumper that sparked the decisive late run - five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Alas nearly squandered his heroics when he turned the ball over after forcing a Tyler Tio miss, but Anthony Semerad redeemed possession by stealing the ball from Tio in the next play, leading to two free throws from the returning Robert Bolick.
Semerad and JB Bahio each added 11 points, with the former also grabbing 10 rebounds.
Bolick, back in action after spending some time off following his father’s passing, had a quiet nine points, missing all of his six outside shots, but tallied nine assists, seven rebounds, and two steals.
Ricci Rivero had 22 points, six rebounds, two steals, and one block for Phoenix, while Kai Ballungay added 12 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists.
Both the FiberXers and Road Warriors joined the TNT Tropang 5G and the Magnolia Hotshots atop the standings at 2-1.
The Dyip and Fuel Masters, on the other hand, fell to a five-way tie with Barangay Ginebra, Titan Ultra Giant Risers, and San Miguel Beermen at the bottom with 1-2 records. / PNA