TERRAFIRMA was left to rue the One That Got Away.
Again.
Juami Tiongson couldn’t help but regret failing to help the Dyip complete what could have been a big reversal against Magnolia as they ended up losing a 121-115 overtime heartbreaker on Saturday in the PBA Governors Cup at the Philsports Arena.
Feeling sorry is actually an understatement for the Dyip, who led by as many as 15 points, 107-92, inside the final five minutes only to watch the Hotshots mount a comeback for the ages.
READ: Magnolia pulls off great escape vs Dyip
In a way, Tiongson felt the Dyip celebrated too early when they led Magnolia by 15 as import Jordan Williams caught fire in the fourth quarter.
“Everyone was frustrated,” said last season’s Most Improved Player. “I guess we relaxed towards the end. Akala namin panalo na. So there’s a lot of lessons to be learned here.”
Tiongson complemented the game-high 45 points of Williams by leading the local Dyip with 19 points, four rebounds, and four assists, although he shot 1-of-7 from three-point range.
A win could have given Terrafirma a flicker of hope of gaining a quarterfinals berth.
But with the loss, the season officially ended for the franchise.
“Kaming lahat sobrang disappointed kasi we let that game slip away,” said Tiongson. “Ang dami naming lapses towards the end na collectively. And as a team, kami talaga yung natalo.”
But not all losses are bad. There are things to be learned in this case.
“Si coach (John Cardel), he still stayed positive. Sabi niya we competed till the very end,” said Tiongson of the atmosphere inside the team dugout following the sorry defeat.
“Yung nga lang, the last two minutes, the important two minutes doon pa kami nag-relax,” he added. “There are a lot of lessons to be learned, and hopefully it makes us better as a team and as an individuals.”
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