THERE was a time when Converge hardly get into contention.
Yet now that the FiberXers went past that through sheer hard work, they plan to go as deep as they can go into the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Converge was to start a best-of-three quarterfinal series with Rain of Shine on Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
After tying their franchise record for victories, set back in the 2022-23 season of the same conference, Converge enters the quarterfinals brimming with promise.
Their performance in the previous Governor’s Cup — taking San Miguel to a decisive fifth game before ultimately falling — has only fueled their desire for more.
Head coach Franco Atienza is convinced that his squad has what it takes to break through the quarterfinals barrier, something they’ve yet to achieve since acquiring the Alaska franchise two seasons ago.
“So ngayon ang goal is to be better on how we perform last conference. Wala ng moral victory sa amin. Kailangang manalo na kami,” Atienza said.
He said their mentality has shifted from mere participation to championship contention.
But standing in their way is No. 6 seed Rain or Shine, who finished with a 7-5 slate, just one game behind Converge.
The FiberXers have already bested the Elasto Painters once this season, earning a 103-96 victory on January 14.
“We will give it a good fight. Again, ang goal namin is to go deeper than we did last conference. And hopefully, we get our guys complete,” Atienza said, remaining confident in his squad’s ability to push further this time around.
This will mark Converge’s fifth appearance in the quarterfinals in franchise history, but a similar early exit would be seen as a step backward. Atienza knows the significance of making a statement in the playoffs.
