In a finish that will be etched in PBA playoff lore, the Converge FiberXers suffered their most agonizing defeat of the year on Sunday, December 28, 2025. A potential franchise-defining victory was snatched away in the cruelest fashion by Barangay Ginebra's Stephen Holt, whose last-second heave secured a 99-98 overtime victory in their winner-take-all quarterfinal decider.
A Dream Crushed at the Buzzer
The Converge FiberXers were on the cusp of their first-ever semifinal appearance, holding a fragile 98-96 lead with mere seconds remaining in overtime. Having blown a twice-to-beat advantage, they were seconds from redemption. After a timeout by legendary coach Tim Cone with 8.5 ticks left, Ginebra set up for one final play.
The initial plan for RJ Abarrientos was shut down. The ball found its way to Stephen Holt, who was having a rough shooting night. With time expiring, Holt used a shoulder fake to send Converge defender John delos Santos flying, took a quick step to his left, and launched a desperate three-pointer from near the right quarter court.
The shot was pure, hitting nothing but net as the buzzer sounded, instantly transforming the Smart Araneta Coliseum into a roaring sea of red and white. Holt's improbable basket completed a stunning comeback and sent the Ginebra Gin Kings to a blockbuster best-of-seven semifinal clash against sister team San Miguel Beer.
The Painful Path to Collapse
The loss cemented Converge's unfortunate reputation as the league's heartbreak team, as they let a won game slip away not once, but twice in the closing moments. In regulation, Converge led 86-83 with seconds left. A critical defensive mistake by Alex Stockton, who fouled Jeremiah Gray on a desperate three-point attempt, proved costly. Gray calmly sank all three free throws to force overtime at 86-86.
The extra period continued the theme of missed opportunities for Converge. Justin Arana missed two crucial free throws after a Japeth Aguilar foul with 1:52 left, failing to extend a 91-89 lead. Although Juan Gomez de Liaño caught fire with six straight points for a 97-93 advantage, Ginebra clawed back.
A Troy Rosario triple brought Ginebra within one point. Converge's 6-foot-9 center, Justin Baltazar, then split his free throws with under 10 seconds left, making the second for a 98-96 lead. That set the stage for Holt's game-winner, a shot he admitted post-game was not the primary option.
Raw Reactions from the Fallout
"I was not supposed to make the shot," a humble Holt confessed after the pandemonium subsided. "First option was RJ (Abarrientos)... Second option was for me to come off a pick-and-roll. I just wanted to execute whatever the game presented to me." He finished with nine points, eight rebounds, and four assists, having gone 1-of-7 from the field before the fateful shot.
For Converge, the emotional toll was evident. "We are a bit down, especially as it came towards the New Year," said a dejected Juan Gomez de Liaño, who spearheaded the fight with 25 points, 18 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Coach Delta Pineda praised his team's effort in defeat. "We fought a champion team, a great team, a more experienced team. It's just not for us." Alex Stockton, whose foul led to overtime, explained his defensive intent on Gray's shot: "I wanted to make sure that he didn't have a great look. But it was just unfortunate that his follow through went into my hand."
The assist on the winning play came from the diminutive RJ Abarrientos, who found Holt despite being well-guarded by the towering Justin Baltazar. Holt later reflected, "That's probably one of the biggest shots in my career." For the heartbroken Converge FiberXers and their fans, it was undoubtedly the most painful.
