OUCH! TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson inadvertently hits Terrafirma guard Stanley Pringle in the face in last night’s game. PBA PHOTO
TERRAFIRMA playmaker Tommy Olivario had the luxury of milking the clock in the final minute of his team’s duel against defending champion TNT last night.
Finally getting the job done, the Dyip stunned the fancied Tropang Giga with an 84-72 victory for their maiden win in Group A in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
With Terrafirma in front 79-70, Olivario could afford to waste away the time, drove to the middle, and found a wide-open Aldrech Ramos from the left corner. Ramos drained the three-pointer that made it an 82-70 game, only 34 seconds left.
NLEX tries to firm up its bid for a quarterfinals berth when it takes on also-ran Phoenix today in Group B while NorthPort and Magnolia also collide in a crucial tiff in Group A action at the same venue.
Terrafirma coach Johnedel Cardel gave his charges plaudits for not losing faith despite losing all their first eight games in the season-opening tilt.
“It worked iyong sinabi ko na takbuhan namin ang TNT and then our defense followed, and all my players were dedicated to playing defense. They communicated and even the small things that happened inside,” Cardel said. “I give credit to all my players talagang even though we’re outnumbered when it comes to players, nine, 10 players lang naglalaro.
“We’re still fighting, looking for our first win and we got it tonight,” he added.
Import Antonio Hester notched 22 points that he laced with 10 rebounds and two assists before leaving the game for good at the 6:55 mark of the fourth due to an apparent right arm injury for the Dyip while veteran Stanley Pringle complemented their reinforcement with 18 markers, five boards and two dimes.
Louie Sangalang also had 10 and two as Terrafirma atoned for two straight close losses to Magnolia (98-99) last Sept. 12 and to Converge (99-100) six days back and improved to 1-8.
The Tropang Giga saw their five-game winning streak, counting an 84-82 decision over the Magnolia Hotshots last Tuesday night, come to a screeching halt and slipped to 7-2.
It also marked the first time the Dyip won over TNT since 2016 and avenged an 89-107 drubbing to the Tropang Giga in their first-round clash last Sept. 5.
Terrafirma fell 32-36 at the half and a 45-54 deficit on a Calvin Oftana jumper with 4:02 to go in the third.
TNT still held a 57-50 advantage going into the fourth period.
Reigning best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s 25 points and 11 caroms went for naught for the Tropang Giga while Roger Pogoy got 23 markers.
While they failed to advance to the Last Eight, the Dyip’s breakthrough win–and a fitting ending if and when they also manage to pull off a shocker anew against the Meralco Bolts tomorrow also at the Malate-based arena, will certainly serve them in good stead next conference.
