PBA: Gómez de Liaño stars in Converge’s demolition of Titan Ultra

MANILA — Juan Gómez de Liaño delivered an efficient triple-double to power Converge’s 152-119 rout of Titan Ultra in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, Sunday evening at the Araneta Coliseum.

Gómez de Liaño tallied 32 points on 12-of-14 shooting while adding 12 rebounds, 13 assists and two steals in 33 minutes as the FiberXers stretched their winning streak to three games and improved to 6-4 in Group A.

The result dropped Titan Ultra to 2-8 and formally eliminated them from playoff contention.

It was a wire-to-wire win for Converge, which opened the game on an 11-0 run and weathered the Giant Risers’ second quarter rally before pulling away anew in the payoff period.

“We’re just trying to play the right way. We’re a very young team so that’s the kind of pace that Coach Delta [Pineda] is trying to instill in the team,” said Gómez de Liaño after the game.

“We’re trying to run, get some stops and play with a lot of energy and effort. That’s the kind of playing style that we’re trying to show everyone,” he added.

A Joshua Munzon triple had made it a one-point game, 57-56, with under three minutes to go in the first half but Alec Stockton’s three-pointer sparked a 9-0 blast that put the FiberXers back up by double-digits, 66-56.

Titan Ultra was still within striking distance, 99-90, after the third period thanks to the efforts of import Tirrell Brown, who scored 14 of his 31 points in that frame.

But Converge exploded for a whopping 53 points in the fourth quarter, quelling any hopes of a Titan Ultra comeback.

Cameron Clark added 30 points, while Justine Baltazar delivered a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double. Four other Converge players were in double-digits, as they shot a blistering 60% against Titan Ultra.

Munzon scored 22 points and Aris Dionisio had 16 for the Giant Risers, but their defense had no answer for Gómez de Liaño and the FiberXers.