TERRAFIRMA can pull off one of the biggest upsets in PBA history on Wednesay if it beats San Miguel in their knockout match for a place in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
The team known as the Dyip, the eighth seed, has arrived at this juncture after a masterful conquest of the Beermen, the top seed, 106-95, last Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
San Miguel was expected to march on to the semis in a breeze but Terrafirma produced a game that would ranked as one of its best, if not its best ever, in an otherwise lackluster history in the pro league.
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San Miguel only survived because it enjoyed twice-to-beat advantage as the top seed.
Many were surprised at the result of last Saturday's game, but not Terrafirma and its players who believed that the win was a product of serious work that began way before the start of the PBA season.
“Every year naman, kailangan ko maging optimistic but I guess ngayon ‘yung very promising season namin,” Juami Tiongson said last October.
Several months later, the Dyip not only put themselves in a position to pull off a mammoth upset, but they left the Beermen in a very uncomfortable position the powerhouse team seldom finds itself in.
Regardless of the result of Wednesday’s do-or-die game at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Terrafirma’s Philippine Cup campaign will be the farthest it has gotten in franchise history.
In their first and only other playoff appearance, the Mahindra Enforcer finished the eliminations at fifth with a 6-5 win-loss record but bowed out after its first game of the quarterfinals against Meralco.
There is no secret to the recent success of the Dyip. The trick, they said, is just doing things the old-fashioned way, which include keeping the young team intact, building chemistry, and building confidence block by block.
“To me, I guess this conference, we trusted each other more and learned how to play together as a group,” said Javi Gomez de Liano in an interview during the elimination round. “Last year, dami naming rookies. It just takes time to adjust our team chemistry and get better.”
“Along the way, I really see improvements from the team,” said Gomez de Liano, who himself has improved especially in scoring with averages of 16.5 points in the Commissioner’s Cup and 15.9 in the ongoing Philippine Cup, marking the first time in his PBA career that he is norming in double digits.
Change in attitude
Terrafirma coach Johnedel Cardel noticed a change in attitude among his players, noting that practices have become competitive. That, he said, has manifested in games, leading to the Dyip's best record since he took over as coach in in 2018.
The players also worked to get better, like Stephen Holt, for example.
After a forgettable Commissioner’s Cup campaign, Holt stayed put instead of going home to the Us to work on his game. His improvement was so dramatic that he is now the leading contender not only for Rookie of the Year but also as Best Player of the Conference.
Holt is second in the team in scoring behind only Tiongson with a 21.3-point clip while being one of the league's best defenders with his 2.5 average in steals.
“Makikita mo na it’s a different team,” said Cardel. “Extra work, extra shooting, defense, ‘yung mga small stats.”
"WE BELIEVED"
Isaac Go credited the coaches for starting the Philippine Cup preparations early after their Commissioner’s Cup exit. The result was a good start that Terrafirma beat Converge, 107-99, last March 1, followed by a victory over NLEX, 99-95.
One of their victims was Barangay Ginebra. The Dyip also gave the Beermen a giant scare in the elims, losing by only three points before finishing the eliminations with a win over North Port that gave them the No. 8 spot in the quarterfinals.
Big man Isaac Go said there was a time when opponents would look at them and say, "Terrafirma? Easy win ‘yan."
Hopefully, he said that reputation is now behind them: “We have the pieces. We started early. The coaches worked us. The players, we talked, we bonded. We believed in one another, believed in the coaches.”
Go has been a thorn in the San Miguel side as early as the eliminations. The former Gilas cadet hit a conference-high seven threes against the Beermen in their April 10 game, a mark that he nearly duplicated when he nailed six in the quarterfinal showdown last Saturday.
With the gains the team has achieved, Go said the team is determined to change the narrative at Terrafirma.
“It’s fun to win," Go said. "Para maiba naman para sa Terrafirma franchise."
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