We’re just one conference into the PBA Season 49 and the Converge FiberXers already surpassed their win total from the previous season. 

To be fair, the bar was low as questions on whether or not the FiberXers were tanking persisted throughout PBA Season 48. Many put two and two together when Converge selected Justine Baltazar with the first overall pick in the 2024 PBA Draft. However, the FiberXers didn’t exactly do a fire sale as they kept Justin Arana, Schonny Winston, and Alec Stockton. 

So far, Converge is faring much better in the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup, closing the preliminary round with four consecutive victories to finish at 6-4. The FiberXers’ last win against the Magnolia Hotshots was one of their better wins, as it not only helped them avoid the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, but it also gave Converge some momentum heading into their best-of-five series against the San Miguel Beermen. 

It looked as if the Hotshots were going to run away with the victory after using a 9-0 run to build a 27-18 lead by the end of the first quarter. Magnolia found their touch from behind the 4-point line, but the FiberXers were undeterred. Converge went inside and chipped at the deficit, drawing fouls, scoring off missed baskets, and keeping a steady hand on their offense. Before they knew it, the FiberXers were back in the game. 

Jalen Jones was instrumental in Converge’s 89-82 victory with his 27 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, but it was Arana who was the pivotal man in the middle. Arana, who also had a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, had no problems getting to his spots and went deep into his bag to help the FiberXers come back and win the game. 

As it is a crossover quarterfinal series, this will be the first time Converge and the Beermen will face each other this season. The FiberXers and SMB last faced each other back in the 2024 Honda PBA Philippine Cup, where Converge initially had the advantage over San Miguel until Marcio Lassiter caught fire. 

Arana will need to be at his best for most, if not the entire series given that he will be matching up with 8-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo. He and Stockton tend to play with no fear, so that type of mentality could help the FiberXers strike first and catch the up-and-down Beermen by surprise. If SMB suddenly returns to their dominant selves, though, this could be a series that will end faster than you can say “FiberXers”. 

A PBA Governors’ Cup championship is not in the cards for the Converge FiberXers at the moment, but they can definitely make their mark in the postseason. The talent never left and they’ve been given time to flourish, so now it’s on them to send a message to the rest of the league that they mean business.