It’s a proverbial matchup of defense versus offense this Friday, as the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel put their stop unit to the test against the high-flying attack of the Converge FiberXers. Will Ginebra find a way to thrart the FiberXers? Or, will the Barangay get to .500 and strengthen their chances to make the postseason with a win?
Catch this game live on Friday, November 14, 2025 at 7:30 pm, Manila time.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (2-3)
Projected Starting Five:
- Scottie Thompson
- Stephen Holt
- Jeremiah Gray
- Troy Rosario
- Japeth Aguilar
Ginebra scored a major win in its most recent outing, drubbing the NLEX Road Warriors, 104-74, to get just a game under .500. More importantly, that victory prevented the Barangay from suffering a third loss in a row. Currently inside the playoff picture, Ginebra will look to sustain its newfound form. Japeth Aguilar led Ginebra with 25 points against the Road Warriors, while Stephen Holt put up 20 points. The Barangay’s offense was in a groove in that contest, as they shot 52.0 percent from the floor.
However, they can’t keep on relying on Aguilar for much of their offense. RJ Abarrientos and Scottie Thompson may have to be more aggressive in hunting for shots against Converge after combining for just 14 attempts to the 16 of Aguilar. Thompson did have 11 dimes in the last game, but he also committed five of Ginebra’s 14 turnovers, which was not ideal. Keeping up with Converge’s offense will be easier said than done, so for Ginebra, its best weapon will be key in cutting the FiberXers’ attack down to size. The Barangay are leading the league this conference this conference with just 80.6 points allowed per game and 104.4 points surrendered per 100 possessions.
Converge FiberXers (4-2)
Projected Starting Five:
- Juan Gomez De Liano
- Alec Stockton
- Kevin Racal
- Justin Arana
- Justine Baltazar
Converge lost a close one to the San Miguel Beermen (96-90) on Nov. 2 but got back on track last Saturday with a 99-94 victory over the Blackwater Bossing. Through six games, one thing that’s clear about the FiberXers is that they can put up points. In fact, they are leading the league with 112.3 points per game — nearly 10 points better than the rest of the league. They have five players who are scoring at least 13.7 points per game.
Leading the charge is Alec Stockton, who is averaging 18.3 points, while Justin Arana is producing 17.8 a night. The addition of Juan Gomez De Liano has further unlocked the potential of the FiberXers, with his ability to create on his own and for his teammates. He is scoring 14.5 points and dishing out 8.7 assists per outing. Ginebra’s defense is going to be a tough challenge for the FiberXers, but they also seem to have so many weapons to spread out the Barangay on that side of the floor. That’s not to mention that Converge is knocking down 9.8 3-pointers per game on a league-best 40.7 3FG%.
Picks
Spread: Converge FiberXers (+3.5)
Over/Under: Over (186.5)
