LOS ANGELES - For the first time in a real long while, Terrafirma Dyip had the opportunity to be an average team six games into a PBA conference.
Rare as a pink ribeye steak, this sort of positive anomaly just doesn't happen around the star-crossed franchise. And that got me excited.
At 2-3, and playing against an import-less Rain or Shine, the signs aligned perfectly for the Dyip to dash easily to 3-3 and perhaps flirt with a faint but realistic playoff berth since forever.
But it all turned out to be a cruel joke on Thursday night when fantasy only teased us with ecstatic thoughts before reality eventually interrupted the daydreaming with a sledgehammer.
Rain Or Shine 120, Terrafirma 118.
Of the hundreds of games that got away from Dyip's unspectacular nine-year PBA existence, this had to hurt the most. It carried the weight, sadness, frustration and helplessness of four flat tires.
Instead of finding a sweet triumph at 3-3 and maybe earning some right to hope to be relevant at least in this Governors' Cup, Terrafirma finds itself in a familiar 2-4 ditch.
TORTURED, DEFEATED.
Losing to an all-Filipino squad when your team had an import who was playing in full force and averaging a vigorous 38.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in six games this conference doesn't reflect well on the Terrafirma coaching staff.
Ruled ineligible to play by Fiba minutes before tip-off, RoS reinforcement Gregory Smith was reduced into a cheerleader after scoring 38 points in his February 12 debut as a replacement for the less-effective Micharl Qualls.
Somehow, Terrafirma failed to exploit a wounded opponent's handicap. And that is inexcusable.
READ: Cardel accepts blame, rues Dyip lose composure over refs' calls
Dyip's coaching brain trust apparently doesn't have many Xs and Os. And that is why Terrafirma rolling with a lot of Ls.
But wait, there is a silver lining to this latest Dyip tragedy.
As he approaches the twilight of a magnificent 33-year coaching journey, the genius of Yeng Guiao is far from faded.
With a diminished offense, he marshalled the forces and squeezed 46 points between Andrei Caracut and Santi Santillan while watching Gabe Norwood take a stroll down memory lane with an inspiring Throwback Thursday output worth 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
PLAYERS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO LOVE PLAYING FOR COACH YENG. YESTERDAY, THEY RAN THROUGH A BRICK WALL FOR HIM.
Proving that they are more versatile and resilient than the product they sell, the Elasto Painters compensated for a 46-39 rebounding disadvantage with a deluge of 31 assists over Terrafirma's 21.
Rain Or Shine also had three less turnovers at 12 and were whistled only for 21 fouls compared to Dyip's 35.
In the end, it was an exciting game to watch where two teams showed their true colors.
Under coach Johnedel Cardel, Terrafirma proved to be a hopeless underachiever.
Under the light of Yeng Guiao, Rain Or Shine is bursting with possibilities.
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