At the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday night, PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup, Converge defeated Rain or Shine 110-88 to win consecutive games.

After beginning the season-ending conference with four straight losses, the Elasto Painters found their groove late in the third quarter and then opened up the game wide in the next chapter to put together a winning run.

With a rare triple-double of 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, veteran big man Beau Belga was the star of the rout. With 21 points and 11 rebounds, Santi Santillan excelled. Andrei Caracut scored 15 points and dished out 13 assists for his personal double double. Wearing retro jerseys from almost 20 years ago, when the team was still known as the Welcoats, Rain or Shine’s Shaun Ildefonso scored a career-high 15 points, while Gian Mamuyac added 10 points.

On the other hand, Meralco defeated Terrafirma by a score of 86-83, coming back from behind to finish.500 in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup.

With 1:59 remaining, Bong Quinto hit the game-winning triple to give them an 82-81 lead. He then ensured that they would stay ahead the entire way. The victory allowed the club to build on their huge victory over Ginebra on March 15.

Quinto had eight rebounds, 4 assists, and 17 points in the end. Additionally, his poise in the closing minutes preserved the efforts of those who contributed to the crew’s comeback from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter. With five rebounds and 15 points, Norbert Torres was productive. In the meantime, Raymond Almazan led them to victory with 14 points and four rebounds, improving their record to 3-3.

With 6:18 left in the last quarter, Meralco led 76-71 thanks to a pivotal 9-0 run that included five baskets from Torres. That helped the team find their rhythm and finish the comeback. On a night when leading scorer Allein Maliksi was limited to just six points on 2-of-11 field goal shooting, Torres’ unexpected spark proved crucial. On Sunday, April 7, at 3:00 PM, at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Meralco will play TNT in a matchup of MVP teams, and the team’s goal is to win three consecutive.

Stephen Holt and Juami Tiongson, who both ended with 20 points, led Terrafirma. The setback dropped Dyip to 3-3 as well. With 2:19 remaining, Holt attempted to salvage the Dyip by giving them an 81-79 lead, but Quinto’s-led Bolts defense stopped him.

For Terrafirma, Javi Gomez de Liano and Aldrech Ramos each scored eleven points. On Sunday at 6:15 PM, Terrafirma will want to rebound against Ginebra.

The Scores

Meralco 86 – Quinto 18, Torres 15, Almazan 14, Black 7, Mendoza 7, Newsome 7, Banchero 6, Maliksi 6, Hodge 4, Pascual 2, Jose 0, Rios 0.

Terrafirma 83 – Tiongson 20, Holt 20, Gomez de Liano 11, Ramos 11, Sangalang 6, Go 4, Camson 4, Carino 4, Cahilig 3, Mina 0, Calvo 0, Alolino 0.

Quarter Scores: 19-25, 39-46, 63-65, 86-83.