Terrafirma finds playoff lifeline with win over Macau
A fast start once made Terrafirma Dyip look like a team ready to change its image as a perennial doormat.
But after opening the tournament with three straight wins, the promise of a rewritten narrative slowly faded behind a long slump, which had the Dyip scrambling just to stay within range of a playoff spot in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
On Saturday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, that scramble paid off.
Behind Jerrick Ahanmisi, Terrafirma snapped its skid with a 102-84 win over also-ran Macau and won for the fourth time in 10 games, enough to keep the Dyip’s flat-lining playoff hopes alive.
Ahanmisi finished with 29 points and eight assists, leading a team that was desperately trying to recapture the morale built by its fast start.
“We talked about it since the beginning of the season—that our goal is to make the playoffs,” Ahanmisi said. “So getting this win means our hopes are alive. Hopefully, our team believes that we can still make it.”
Terrafirma’s struggles were not rooted in effort as much as execution. Coach Mubashar Ali added 25 points and 16 rebounds, while rookie Geoff Chiu delivered his first double-double, helping fuel a decisive fourth-quarter surge that reminded the team of its capabilities.
But the climb back is only going to get harder for Terrafirma.
