By REYNALD MAGALLON
The Dyip simply played like a well-oiled machine ready to run for another mile in their dream playoff trip.
Eighth seed Terrafirma completed a gargantuan upset of the twice-to-beat San Miguel Beer, 106-95, and forced a sudden-death showdown in their quarterfinals series in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup at Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, May 11.
The Dyip got solid contributions across the board but it was Juami Tiongson who delivered the killer blows that slayed the giants in the Beermen and forced the top seed to a do-or-die match– a feat that hasn’t been done since 2019.
Tiongson finished with 29 points, including his team’s last seven points that kept SMB at bay when it was trying to mount a comeback.
Isaac Go also stepped up big time for the Dyip firing 22 points – built on six triples while top rookie candidate Stephen Holt added 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Javi Gomez De Liano, the hero of Terrafirma’s do-or-die match against NorthPort, continued with the fine play with an all-around of 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the win that is also the Dyip’s first ever playoff victory since joining the league in 2014.
Terrafirma is looking to replicate the huge win in the sudden-death game set on Wednesday, May 15 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Proving that they belong to the bright light of the playoffs, Terrafirma stood tooth-and-nails against the might of SMB in the first two quarters and even kept 54-49 lead at the break.
With SMB still lurking and keeping itself within striking distance, the win didn’t seem apparent for Terrafirma even when it took an 82-73 lead heading into the payoff period.
However, the Dyip turned the doubters in the stands into believers as they kept providing answers to every Beermen run in the final frame.
SMB actually came within four, 86-82, midway through the payoff period but Terrafirma showed poise with an 8-0 counter courtesy of Holt, Tiongson and Kemark Carino to restore a 12-point lead.
June Mar Fajardo paced SMB with 21 points and 16 rebounds while CJ Perez added 20 points in the losing effort for the top seed team.
The Beermen didn’t know what hit them and became the latest team to not capitalize on a twice-to-beat since the NLEX Road Warriors also failed to do so in the 2019 Governors’ Cup against the then Christian Standhardinger-led NorthPort Batang Pier.
NLEX actually totally collapsed in the series as NorthPort overcame the twice-to-win advantage with a Game 2 win – a disaster SMB hopes to avoid in Game 2.
