It was a special Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo for head coach Ronald Tubid as his Terrafirma Dyip fought valiantly and eked out a 97-91 victory against the NLEX Road Warriors. It was Terrafirma’s first win in PBA Season 50, their first win in six months, and Tubid’s first ever triumph as main tactician.
What Happened?
Terrafirma cooked in the middle quarters, outscoring NLEX 50-38 to enter the fourth ahead, 74-62. The Dyip were particularly prolific in the third, scattering 28 big points on five triples to go up by double digits. But the Road Warriors, like they did in their win against the San Miguel Beermen, staged a late fourth-quarter rally, only to fall short as Terrafirma made just enough plays to seal the victory and gift head coach Ronald Tubid the victory.
Who Stood Out?
Mark Nonoy only had 6 points, but he was masterful overall, orchestrating the Terrafirma offense and finding the open man. He finished with a career-best 13 assists on top of 7 rebounds and just 1 turnover. JM Bravo, Paolo Hernandez, and Didat Hanapi also played well, with Bravo scattering 18 points and 9 rebounds and Hernandez and Hanapi putting up 13 apiece.
The Road Warriors, meanwhile, were mostly off the entire game, though JB Bahio came on strong late and finished with 14 points and 11 boards for a second straight double-double.
3 Keys to the Game
- Terrafirma’s third quarter. As mentioned, the Dyip caught fire in the third quarter, where they went 10-for-19 overall and hit five treys. It ultimately gave them the separation they needed to withstand NLEX’s fight back in the fourth and give coach Ronald Tubid his first win.
- Taking care of the ball. Terrafirma did a good job at it, save for some tense moments in the fourth. NLEX, in contrast, didn’t and committed 17 turnovers to the Dyip’s 12. Terrafirma took full advantage, outscoring the Road Warriors 17-5 in points off turnovers.
- Bench points. The Dyip bench outscored their NLEX counterparts 47-32, as Hanapi, Nonoy, and Jerrick Ahanmisi (14 points) came off the bench to spark Terrafirma to the win.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA takes its golden season back to the Smart Araneta Coliseum for a guaranteed slam-bang Wednesday. The Blackwater Bossing will take on the Meralco Bolts in the curtain-raiser, while the TNT Tropang 5G will face off with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the nightcap.
Blackwater vs. Meralco | TNT vs. Ginebra
