CHICAGO - A winless streak that had been gestating for nine months, spanning 25 defeats, had finally delivered a victory.
Terrafirma 124. NLEX 114.
I watched the game on Facebook livestream as a guilty pleasure, and when I saw the Dyip squander a 17-point lead including a relatively safe 105-95 cushion in the final 5:48 of the fourth quarter, I thought they'd lose again.
Bad teams typically can't handle prosperity.
This time Terrafirma did, in overtime, thanks to a very prosperous import - Lester Prosper.
After being denied nine times already in this conference, Prosper was determined not to have a 10th beating on Friday night and hauled 50 points including the dagger 3 that gave the Dyip a 118-112 gap in the extension period.
He finished with 19 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block in 46 minutes and 41 seconds of play.
WITH 18 POINTS, 8 REBOUNDS AND 9 ASSISTS TO HIS NAME, JUAN MIGUEL TIONGSON WAS A JOY TO WATCH.
But I just wish he wouldn't cry at every referee's call, it takes a lot of the shine from his all-around brilliance.
"At least nasira yung sumpa. At least we can start again," Terrafirma head coach Johnedel Cardel told SPIN.ph.
I hate to be the party-pooper but the Dyip merely broke a spell, and as long as that ill-fated franchise continues to trade away their top picks and best assets, they will always be cursed.
I agree with Cardel, though. The Dyip can start again with another losing streak because their next game is against the struggling San Miguel Beermen, who at 3-5 in the standings can't afford another loss.
Speaking of curses, what the heck is wrong with NLEX?
A team with their budget and talent has no business losing against Terrafirma.
With a meager 3-7 record and losers of five straight there doesn't seem to have much fight left with the Road Warriors.
I can't put a pulse on their dizzying downward spiral other than to speculate that NLEX is suffering from the curse of Yeng Guiao, the brilliant taskmaster the franchise chose to let go last September.
A CONE OF GREATNESS. While talking to him on the phone last year, I asked Tim Cone if my sources were right that he was making P1.2 million a month in salaries.
He wouldn't confirm nor deny it.
He did say that his first paycheck as a PBA head coach was only P25,000 a month so he ain't apologizing for whatever fortune he is pulling in right now.
Whatever that figure is, it's money well-spent by the SMC group.
The Ginebra head coach notched his 1,000th win on Friday when the Gin Kings clobbered Blackwater 98-84. He didn't even want to linger on the milestone and immediately looked forward to victory number 1,001 this Saturday against TNT.
The rate Terrfirma is going, they have a good chance at 1,0000 wins in the next 100 years.
Money can't buy happiness but it sure can acquire a two-time Grand Slam-winning coach with 24 PBA championships to his name.
Congrats, coach Tim.
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