By: REYNALD MAGALLON
Juami Tiongson caught fire with 37 points, steering Terrafirma to a confidence-boosting 110-96 victory over NLEX to get back on the winning track in the PBA on Tour at the Ynares Sports Arena on Friday, June 16.
It actually took some time for the Dyip’s engines to heat up after a slow start to the contest but immediately took off behind Tiongson who picked up the slack and led Terrafirma’s second half breakaway for their second win in five games.
Tiongson fired away with seven triples in an all-around performance that also saw him finish with six rebounds, six assists and a four steals while also getting ample support from his supporting cast in Gelo Alolino and Andreas Cahilig.
Alolino added 14 points while Cahilig finished with a double-double of 13 points and 14 rebounds. Eric Camson and Allen Mina also chipped in 12 points apiece.
Scoring just four points in the opening frame, Tiongson started to put in the work in the second quarter where he exploded for 11 points to help Terrafirma cut a once nine-point NLEX lead down to just one at the half.
Tiongson sustained the fiery shooting even after the break, this time unloading 13 points as the Dyip started running away after a blistering 17-4 run which was capped by a booming Tiongson trey, turning a 58-65 deficit into a 76-69 advantage.
The Road Warriors kept themselves within striking distance in the final frame but the Dyip once again stepped on the gas pedal and unleashed a 19-5 fourth quarter run to seize a 104-85 lead and take the fight out of NLEX.
Meantime, Magnolia extended its hot streak to five games following a 96-63 mauling of the shorthanded TNT.
The usually defensive-minded Rome Dela Rosa set the tone for the rout during the Hotshots’ huge second quarter onslaught that saw them bare their defensive fangs, limiting the 10-man Tropang Giga to just 11 points while scoring 28.
Dela Rosa unloaded 11 of his team-high 19 points in that pivotal second quarter that allowed Magnolia to seize a double-digit spread which it never relinquished until the final buzzer to stay perfect after five games.
It was also a total team effort for the Hotshots as Mark Barroca, James Laput and Joseph Eriobu put on the finishing touches in the second half as the lead ballooned to as many as 33 points in the final frame.
