Can Terrafirma pull the rug from under the mighty San Miguel in their PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup quarterfinal tussle?
After nearly eight years, Terrafirma reentered the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup playoffs by way of a 104-96 win in a knockout match over NorthPort on Wednesday, May 8.
The Dyip leaned on the duo of Juami Tiongson and Stephen Holt to secure the eighth spot at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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Juami Tiongson | Photo (c) PBA
But the task just becomes tougher for Terrafirma as it is set to face top seed San Miguel in the quarterfinals on Saturday, May 11, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Before the 3 p.m. clash at the historic venue inside the Philippine Sports Committee headquarters in Manila, One Sports looks closely at the match-up.
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No. 1 San Miguel vs No. 8 Terrafirma
Elimination round record:
SMB (10-1)
Terrafirma (5-6)
June Mar Fajardo | Photo (c) PBA
San Miguel lived up to its lofty billing as the PBA's winningest team took down one foe after another before being halted in its eleventh and final match in the elimination round of the Philippine Cup.
The culprit? Meralco, which put a dent to powerhouse Beermen's erstwhile impeccable 10-0 record.
But with the top seed and the twice-to-beat incentive already in the bag, the Beermen have no plans of slowing down as they look to regain their winning form when they take on the lowest-ranked squad in the playoffs – Terrafirma – and quickly secure their seat in the semis.
The Dyip have just gotten over the hump as they made their return trip to the quarterfinals after 16 long conferences. But the road just goes uphill from there, with Terrafirma facing a major roadblock in mighty San Miguel.
Terrence Romeo | Photo (c) PBA
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It might be a daunting task, but Terrafirma is determined to continue its fairy tale run.
“Bilog ang bola,” said Dyip star Tiongson, whose team has managed to cut the mighty Beermen to size in the past.
How San Miguel and Terrafirma fared against each other in the elims:
San Miguel actually narrowly escaped Terrafirma, 113-110, in their elimination round encounter last April 10.
[WATCH: PBA Game Highlights: San Miguel refuses to fall prey to Terrafirma, stays unbeaten in 5]
The Dyip kept in step with the Beermen the whole match, posting a 12-point lead early on before getting dragged into a nip-and-tuck battle by the Beermen in the second half.
Terrafirma even threatened at 110-111 behind Isaac Go's third triple in the fourth period with 42.3 second left to play, but championship-tested San Miguel proved steadier in the end.
Mo Tautuaa, on an intense shootout with Go, nailed his reverse layup before putting up a stop against the Dyip's Juami Tiongson.
Go, who has already tallied 21 points – his career-high – failed to add more to his scoring haul as he muffed his last three-point attempt after making his previous seven.
Tautuaa finished with a season-high 24 points, 17 of which in the fourth period.
Isaac Go | Photo (c) PBA
CJ Perez led the Beermen with 25 points, including the 11 he poured early in the final frame. June Mar Fajardo produced monster numbers of 20 points, 17 rebounds and six assists while Terrence Romeo added 16 points.
Juami Tiongson (24 points), Javi Gomez de Liano (21) and Stephen Holt (18 markers, 10 assists and seven boards) continued to be a reliable bunch for Terrafirma, who will head into the quarterfinal clash with some confidence despite the loss.
Players to watch:
San Miguel – Everyone. The Beermen have the "Death 15" that allowed them to conquer the past Commissioner’s Cup who might as well lead them to another title.
Seven-time Most Valuable Player Fajardo, who is currently at third in the race for the Best Player of the Conference plum, will always be a riddle every team wishes to solve.
CJ Perez | Photo (c) PBA
But San Miguel also has in its arsenal spitfire guards Perez and Jericho Cruz, as well as Marcio Lassiter who is on track to becoming the player with the most three-point field goals made of all-time.
Terrafirma – Super rookie Holt is not one to back down from any challenge even in only his first year in the league. Dyip leader Tiongson, who made his first All-Star appearance this year, will look to prove his worth against the league’s most successful franchise.