Games Today
(Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig)
5 p.m. — Blackwater vs Terrafirma
7:30 p.m. — Converge vs Magnolia
CONVERGE and Magnolia face off in the PBA On Tour today (May 31) at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, each bent on sustaining its flying start in the pre-season meet.
The FiberXers demolished Terrafirma, 119-82, while the Hotshots clobbered Blackwater, 117-83, building strong momentum for the 7:30 p.m. dogfight.
The Bossing (1-1) and the Dyip (0-1), meanwhile, seek a quick bounceback when they clash in the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser.
Converge drew big games from Justin Arana and Jerrick Balanza, who fired identical 24 points, and solid debuts from trade acquisitions Mike Nieto (12) and Adrian Wong (11) in kicking off the campaign with a 37-point win.
But Coach Aldin Ayo maintained the team is very much a work in progress at this point.
Magnolia, for its part, leaned on James Laput’s 12-12 breakout game and Abu Tratter’s 14-point debut to beat Blackwater by 34.
The Hotshots overcame the absence of key players Ian Sangalang, Calvin Abueva and Jio Jalalon, who are still recovering from various injuries, in the big victory. — Olmin Leyba
