BARANGAY Ginebra scored a runaway win against Rain or Shine on Wednesday night, but it was Terrafirma which created a ripple in its final game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup in Antipolo.
The Kings dominated the Elasto Painters from start to finish for a 120-92 win and a berth in the eighth-team quarterfinals cast.
But the Dyip stole the limelight in the Ynares Center doubleheader after shocking the Tropang Giga, 117-108, and exit the mid-season conference on a high note.
COLUMN: Even without a King, Blackwater pulls off a royal flush
It was the only win in 12 outings for the former expansion franchise, but dealt TNT a costly setback as the erstwhile league leader lost its grip of the top spot and fell to fifth place with its 6-3 record.
Also skidding in the standings is the Elasto Painters, which fell to seventh spot at 6-4, just a notch below the sixth-running Kings (7-4).
Here are some of the takeaways in the final sixth playdate of the import-flavored tournament.
1. DYIP LINING UP FOR ANOTHER POSSIBLE NO. 1 DRAFT PICK – in the aftermath of an all-Filipino Blackwater team pulling a 100-92 upset of Phoenix, Terrafirma pulled off its own stunner, an even bigger one by catching a big fish in TNT. The win meant the Dyip won’t end their campaign with a big fat egg as they matched the same record they had in the season-opener Governors’ Cup. Incidentally, the team’s two victories in Season 49 both came at the expense of the Tropang Giga. Nonetheless, by finishing with the worst record for the second straight tournament, the Dyip are again priming up as the possible owner of the top overall pick in the Season 50 Rookie Draft.
2. MARK NONOY A POSSIBLE TRADE TARGET – the guard out of University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle showed his worth on Wednesday night by erupting for a conference high 33 points to personally lead the Dyip to the inspiring win over the Tropang Giga. Certainly, there are teams out there who took notice of Nonoy’s performance, making him a possible trade target in the coming seasons. The idea is not far-fetched as Terrafirma had a history of dealing away its top picks in the past, from the rights to Christian Standhardinger, CJ Perez, all the way to Stephen Holt. A look at the team’s current lineup suggests only Kemark Carino and Louie Sangalang from its previous rookie drafts remain with the organization. Carino and Sangalang were both second-round picks by the franchise in Season 48, unlike Nonoy who was a first round selection in the last draft.
3. TERRAFIRMA SHOWS POTENTIAL – its win over TNT only proved the Dyip have some talent in them and potential to compete. The coming season-ending Philippine Cup will be a huge test for this new-look roster that has the likes of young guns Nonoy, Carino, Sangalang, Paolo Hernandez, Brent Paraiso, CJ Catapusan, Didat Hanapi, and the veteran presence of Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle, Kevin Ferrer, Aldrech Ramos, Aljun Melecio, and Vic Manuel. It may not be as star-studded as the other teams, but certainly has the promise and ability to pull of surprises. As coach Raymond Tiongco stressed, it is only now that Terrafirma is building its chemistry again after changing major personnel through trades just before the season began. Then again, will management stay patient with this present roster or will it break up its core again by the time Season 50 kicks off?
4. LIKE STOCKS, THERE’S CONSTANT CHANGES IN TEAM STANDINGS – interesting that after every game day, team standings keep fluctuating this conference. With its loss to Terrafirma, TNT suddenly found itself sliding to No. 5, while propelling Converge and Northport to joint first on similar 8-3 slates. Guest team Eastern and Meralco meanwhile, rose to a share of third and fourth spots at 7-3. Rain or Shine, which once shared the top spot, again skidded down to No. 7 after the 28-point blowout against the Kings. Expect more shakeup in the standings as the tournament comes down to its final week.
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