The Terrafirma Dyip did what couldn’t be done in six games: beat the NLEX Road Warriors. Terrafirma accomplished the feat on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, overcoming the erstwhile unbeaten Road Warriors, 114-109, in an absolute stunner. The win snapped the Dyip’s three-game slide and improved their PBA Governors’ Cup slate to 3-4. NLEX’s first loss dropped them to 6-1.
What Happened?
There was no hot start for NLEX on Friday as Terrafirma went toe-to-toe with the Group A leader. With Justin Strings firing 14 first-quarter points and JM Bravo and Joseph Eriobu combining for 12, the Dyip outscored NLEX 34-30 in the opening frame. The Road Warriors answered with a 35-26 second quarter behind 11 points from Schonny Winston and 9 from JB Bahio. That uprising allowed NLEX to enter intermission ahead by five, 65-60.
Terrafirma responded in the third, with Juami Tiongson firing 10 points on two triples to lead a 28-21 turnaround that gave the Dyip an 88-86 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The two teams went nip-and-tuck in the final frame that saw five ties and seven lead changes—the last of which was Terrafirma taking the lead for good at 111-109.
Who Stood Out?
Strings continued his superb showing for the Dyip this conference as he fired a game-high 28 points on top of 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks. Tiongson backed him up with 20 points, including 10 in that third-quarter uprising. Maverick Ahanmisi was stellar as well with his 16 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals. Bravo and Geo Chiu played well, too, with the former adding 16 and the latter scoring 8 points and grabbing 12 boards. Meanwhile, Brent Paraiso came off the Terrafirma bench and chipped in 18, including clutch baskets in regulation.
On the other side, Robert Bolick had 20 points and 8 assists, while import DeQuan Jones finished with 19 points and 5 boards. Winston added 16, while Bahio provided a spark off the bench with 20 points and 16 caroms.
3 Keys to the Game
- Poise down the stretch. When it came down to the final three minutes, the team on a losing streak—Terrafirma—showed more poise than the unbeaten squad. That poise showed in the execution, which saw the Dyip create better shots while the Road Warriors had to force theirs.
- Points off turnovers. The turnover battle was tight, with Terrafirma coughing the ball up 8 times and NLEX throwing it away 11 times. But the Dyip made the most of those Road Warriors miscues by converting them into 18 points; in contrast, NLEX had only 8 off Terrafirma’s errors.
- Starters. Every one of Terrafirma’s starters played superb basketball on Friday, whether it was Strings imposing his will, Tiongson hitting a jumper, Bravo making timely baskets, Ahanmisi setting the table, or Chiu getting rebounds. In all, the Dyip’s starting unit outscored NLEX’s 88-57.
Next Up for the PBA
Saturday, August 8, 2026 | Ynares Center – Montalban
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (5:15 p.m.)
San Miguel Beermen vs. Macau Giant Pandas (7:30 p.m.)
