Both the Converge FiberXers and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel keep a 4-4 record. Which team is going up above .500 and move closer to the top of the standings in the 2023 PBA on Tour?

Catch this game live on Sunday,  July 16 at 7:30 pm, Manila time.

Converge FiberXers (4-4)

Projected Starting Five:

  • G: Alec Stockton
  • G/F: Michael Nieto
  • G/F: Kevin Racal
  • F/C: Justine Arana
  • F/C: Jeo Ambohot

The FiberXers picked up a nice win in their last outing, as they crushed the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters on July 7, 104-90. That’s a great way for Converge to get its mojo back after getting slapped with a loss by PBA on Tour powerhouse Rain or Shine Elastro Painters. Jolo Mendoza dropped a stunning performance against the Fuel Masters, exploding for 26 points with three assists in 31 minutes off the bench. 

That’s the kind of performance that should earn him significant playing time for at least another game, but he’s barely the only Converge player Ginebra will have to be wary about. The FiberXers have five players averaging at least 11.0 points heading into that showdown versus Phoenix. Converge is lethal from deep, as it’s draining 13.63 3-pointers per game on 378.0 percent accuracy. 

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (4-4)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: John Pinto
  • SG: Jeremiah Gray
  • SF: Von Pessumal
  • PF: Aljon Mariano
  • C: Raymond Aguilar

Ginebra dropped back to .500 after they absorbed a 106-93 loss to the Meralco Bolts in Espana on July 5. After over a week of rest, the Barangay are ready to get back to work against a beatable squad in Converge. Despite the loss, the Barangay must have been ecstatic over the way Von Pessumal shot the ball versus Meralco. The former Ateneo sharpshooter dropped 26 points on 7/14 shooting from the field and 3/8 from deep, while Jeremiah Gray put up 15 points and grabbed 10 boards. 

Pessumal and Gray aren’t the second coming of Mark Caguioa and JJ Helterbrand, but they’re shining in the PBA on Tour nonetheless. Pessumal is averaging 13.8 points per game, while Gray is pacing Ginebra with 14.75 points per contest. The Barangay shot just 5/22 from behind the arc in the Meralco game, but they could find their shooting luck right away after such a horrendous 3-point showing.

PREDICTION:

Spread: Converge (-2.0) covers the spread.

Over/Under: The total (202.0) hits the Over.