JOHN Fields believes that Columbian Dyip is a force to be reckoned with for as long as his local teammates are up to the task.
With the way they performed on Sunday night, nobody can really disagree with him.
The Dyip kept themselves in the hunt for just their second PBA playoff appearance in franchise history after their 115-107 win over the Phoenix Fuelmasters in the Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Fields finished with 29 points and 26 rebounds and got a lot of help from five locals in double-digits as the Dyip moved into playoff position at seventh place with a 4-5 record with two games to spare.
“Everybody was big. Jeremy, Rashawn, Glenn, Eric, Russ coming off the bench, everybody giving big minutes and I’m happy to get back in the playoff picture,” said Fields.
“Oh man it’s big. When we get that type of firepower from them, we’re a hard team to beat,” he added. “My teammates are great. They’re who I want to be with and play with.
"I got supreme confidence from everybody out there to shoot the ball and we really showed it tonight.”
Fields also credited head coach Ricky Dandan, who he said kept the team together in the midst of another mid-conference slump where the Dyip got blown out left and right.
“Coach Ricky has been on us. He’s asking more from any individual, including me. He’s saying ‘John I need more, Jerramy I need more, I need more Rashawn,’ he just wants more from everybody and we gave it to him tonight,” Fields said.
Assuming they win their last two games, they’ will be qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 Governor’s Cup.
For Fields, the playoffs already started in this game.
“We’re taking it like we’re in the playoffs already. In the next game like Ginebra, it’s a playoff game. The last game in the GlobalPort is a playoff game. We got to get to the playoffs.”
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