The Terrafirma Dyip is scheduled for a head-to-head game against the Meralco Bolts at 4:30 PM on January 28, 2023 live from the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, Rizal.
The Bolts wanted to keep their winning streak alive and extend it to three in a row while the Dyip wanted to avoid a two-game slide when PBA’s third conference resumes this afternoon in Antipolo.
Each Governors’ Cup apart from the fan-favorite Barangay Ginebra San Miguel the other popular squad that tries to bag the championship hardware is without a doubt, the Meralco Bolts.
In the past two of the league’s season-ending tourneys including this ongoing tournament, Meralco already brought different imports as they themselves believed in the mantra “Never-Say-Die” or “No Retreat, No Surrender”. At this conference, they brought back KJ McDaniels who already made some of his struts last the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Conference. McDaniels though below the maximum height standards of the second conference for imports, yet, he was able to lead the squad to a victory against the Bay Area Dragons.
Currently, the Bolts are among the three squads that shared the top spot position of the standings, and if they get another victory today that will give them separation from Converge FiberXers and the TNT Tropang Giga.
As reported, Meralco’s troops are now 100% healthy things are getting brighter for them. Against NorthPort Batang Pier, they have demonstrated how tough they are if they’re in full force.
“We’re pretty good when we’re all healthy,” said Cliff Hodge. “These guys are big for us (NorthPort). Them being healthy gives us a chance of winning games,” said head coach Norman Black in his agreement.
For Terrafirma on the other hand, the team lost to Converge despite an amazing performance from their import Jordan Williams who dropped 46 points and six rebounds in his PBA debut. During the first half of that match, the score difference looked manageable but it was in the second half that the FiberXers are able to find their groove where they piled huge margins and didn’t look back.
Juami Tiongson led all the Dyip’s locals with 18 points while newly minted Kevin Ferrer added 10 markers.
Terrafirma head coach Johnedel Cardel may have already deciphered the game plan of Meralco and that’s what they’re preparing to avoid another bad start in this brand new conference.
“Ibinalik ni coach Norman ang old school play niya, which is kapag may mismatch sa post to go there,” said Cardel. “Lalo na against us na wala namang true center kundi si (Joseph) Gabayni.”