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CJ Pérez (light) stands out for Terrafirma, finishing with 27 points. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PBA IMAGES
SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – Terrafirma chose an unfortunate moment to end a long drought: in the shadow of a titanic showdown between two squads preparing to contest the PBA Philippine Cup trophy.
But although coach Johnedel Cardel did not exactly have the luxury of scheduling wins. I only knew that one would get in the bubble.
That victory came on Friday, when Dyip slid past Blackwater, 110-101, for its first win in seven games in the Philippine Cup at the University of Angeles Foundation with Smart 5G technology here.
“So everyone [our difficulties] … It’s all in the mind, ”said Cardel, adding that he was encouraged by his team’s gallant attitude in a recent loss to Alaska.
“I always told them we almost beat Alaska,” Cardel added. “The Aces have been defeating powerful teams.”
Practically out of the playoff picture, the Dyip are looking for small wins here. How to get a victory after more than a year. Terrafirma last won a PBA game on October 25, 2019, a 106-104 cliffhanger against Phoenix. Of course, there was a pandemic that shut down the league for seven months, dragging that drought down longer than it should have lasted.
But the victory showed Cardel that his team still has a fight, especially mentally.
“The heart and the will to win is such an important part of everything,” he said. “I keep counting [my players] that if they can learn that, they can play for a long time here at the PBA ”.
CJ Pérez, last year’s best rookie, led Terrafirma with 27 points, while this year’s top draft pick, Roosevelt Adams, added 20 points and 16 rebounds. The duo provided a glimpse of just how potent their partnership can be if the Dyip can keep both of them on its list for long.
The victory was eventually overshadowed by the late clash between TNT and Barangay Geneva, two colossal squads that have been deemed favorites for the championship spots.
The Kings defeated Tropang Giga, 85-79, to take the solo lead with their seventh win in nine games.
TNT fell to 6-3.
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