Converge drains Phoenix to resume PBA playoff bid

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Converge FiberXers battered the undermanned Phoenix Fuel Masters, 130-103, to keep their PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoff dream alive on April 26, 2026, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Without the presence of Phoenix import James Dickey III, who sat out the duel due to an ankle injury, the FiberXers took advantage, blowing them out by a mile to notch their second consecutive win.

Dickey’s absence left the Fuel Masters a huge hole, specifically inside the paint, where Converge feasted to immediately blow the game wide open with a 13-point lead after the first quarter.

The Fuel Masters responded with a sense of urgency, led by star shooting guard Ricci Rivero, who unleashed 11 points in the second quarter alone, but a late flurry from Converge reinforcement Donovan Smith and Alec Stockton helped the FiberXers restore order and end the half with a 15-point cushion, 61-46.

However, disaster struck midway through the third frame when the Fuel Masters got manhandled in the shaded lane. Smith pummeled his way with little resistance from Phoenix’s local frontcourt rotation, made worse by Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana’s late avalanche.

From a paint scoring differential of 32-11, Converge expanded its advantage underneath to 53-18, resulting in a 23-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

When the fourth quarter kicked off, Phoenix chose to play the risky game of picking its poison, opting to double Smith for the entire final period.

Despite Smith being contained offensively, his court vision led to wide-open 3-pointers buried by Converge’s outside shooters.

Juan Gomez de Liaño first paid off Smith’s trust with a booming triple from the left corner, followed by three more from Calvin Abueva, Sherwin Concepcion, and Stockton.

Phoenix then threw in the towel when the FiberXers mounted their biggest lead of the ballgame at 34 points, with five minutes still remaining in the fourth quarter.

Despite playing his first game after replacing Kylor Kelley, Smith quickly made his presence felt with a dominant outing of 32 points and 13 rebounds.

Solid as a tank and tough like a classic bruiser, Smith schooled the entire Phoenix local unit with his tremendous footwork and brute strength inside the paint.

Baltazar picked up where he left off, contributing a double-double of 15 markers and 14 boards, while Arana and de Liaño each had 13 points.

Converge will look to rack up its third consecutive win on May 2, 2026, as it challenges the NLEX Road Warriors, while the Fuel Masters aim to rebound on May 1, 2026, against Bol Bol and the TNT Tropang 5G.