Dyip off to best start in years
MANILA, Philippines — All revved up, Terrafirma outraced NLEX to the finish line, 99-95, to set an unlikely joint leadership with Blackwater in the PBA Philippine Cup yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Dyip patiently chipped away the Road Warriors’ initial 13-point spread then unleashed a 29-22 finishing kick to set the stage to the follow-up victory to Friday’s 107-99 verdict over Converge.
At 2-0, Johnedel Cardel’s wards are off to their best start since the 2016 Governors’ Cup, the only time the franchise made the playoffs so far.
Then known as Mahindra Enforcer, the Dyip opened with four straight wins en route to 6-5 and fifth seeding in the quarterfinals, where they were eventually booted out by No. 4 and twice-to-beat Meralco.
“We have two wins pero sabi ko sa kanila, huwag isipin na dalawang panalo na kami kasi baka mag-relax,” said Cardel after the Dyip drew level at the top with the idle Bossing, who upstaged a pair of heavyweights in Meralco, 96-93, and TNT, 87-76, to get their campaign started.
“Every game kailangang 1-0, 1-0, hanggang sa makuha namin ang goal, which is to go to the quarterfinals,” he added.
Stephen Holt led an array of heroes in Terrafirma’s win No. 2 as he scattered 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Holt highlighted his heroics with a crucial defensive stop against Robert Bolick, forcing the NLEX gunner to lose the ball out of bounds from a handoff by Dave Marcelo.
This led to JP Calvo’s two dagger free throws off a foul by Sean Anthony that made it a more comfortable four-point cushion going to the last 22.3 seconds.
Calvo shot eight of his 16 in the fourth period to join the Dyip’s scoring parade bannered by Juami Tiongson (21) and Javi Gomez de Liaño (18).
Bolick netted 29 but failed to stop the Road Warriors from falling to 1-1.
NLEX seized control early, 39-26, and even held a 57-47 margin at the break. But Terrafirma shifted to high gear after restart, unloading 10 unanswered points in the third to tie it all up. It was anybody’s game from there.
