March 4 ------ TERRAFIRMA pulled off a grind-out win over NLEX, 99-95, for a rare 2-0 start in the PBA Philippine Cup. Juami Tiongson finished with a team-high 21 points, rookie Stephen Holt had 17, while back up guard JP Calvo added 16 including the two free throws in the final 22 seconds that clinched the Dyip's second straight win.
Winner over Converge last Friday, Terrafirma is now tied with idle Blackwater on top of the standings. “We’re 2 and 0, but we just got to keep building,” said Holt, the no. 1 overall pick in the last draft, who also had seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, while shooting an efficient 8-of-12 from the floor.
The second straight win already matched the same number of victories posted by the Dyip in the last Commissioner’s Cup. “We have two wins now, pero sabi ko sa kanila every game kailangan manalo kami, hindi namin iniisip na may dalawang panalo na kami kasi baka mag-relax sila,” added winning coach Johnedel Cardel.
The first and only time Terrafirma got off to a 2-0 start the franchise made it all the way to the playoffs of the 2016 Governors’ Cup, according to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III. Then carrying the Mahindra banner, the team actually posted a 4-0 start behind then head coach Chris Gavina and led by import James White. Javi Gomez de Liano added 18 for Terrafirma, which broke the game’s final deadlock (87-87) on a free throw by Calvo and a Holt jumper for a 90-87 count with 4:47 to play.
NLEX got 29 points from Robert Bolick, who also had five rebounds and eight assists, but committed five turnovers. Rookie Jhan Nermal was the only other player in double figures for the Road Warriors (1-1) with 15 points, including 13 in the opening half.
The scores:
Terrafirma (99) - Tiongson 21, Gomez de Liano 18, Holt 17, Calvo 16, Alolino 9, Go 7, Ramos 3. Cahilig 0, Camson 0, Mina 0.
NLEX (95) - Bolick 29, Nermal 15, Valdez 9, Miranda 7, Ular 7, Anthony 6, Semerad 6, Nieto 6, Marcelo 4, Pascual 4, Herndon 2.
Quarterscores: 21-26, 47-57; 70-73; 99-95.
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