Beginnings and endings

It has been a smashing first week for the Philippine Basketball Association and its 50th season.

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So far, we’ve seen old faces in new uniforms, a new team getting its first win, and a singular player announcing his impending retirement. There are many great stories in the season so far, but three of them stand out.

After Titan Ultra registered its first win as a new franchise thanks to a career-high 41 points against the Meralco Bolts, The Beast fell to injury. This opened the door for the Converge FiberXers to get a whopping 37-point win Saturday night. That set a new standard for the franchise’s winning margin, also a new record for a debuting head coach, Pampanga Vice-Governor Delta Pineda. Moreover, Juan Gomez de Líaño tallied the first triple double by local rookie in his first game: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists. It was also the first triple double by a rookie since Scottie Thompson of Barangay Ginebra nine years ago.