MANILA, Philippines — Liano’s Javi Gomez knows Terrafirma needs to do more to build on its massive win over Barangay Ginebra and ultimately clinch a rare berth to the quarterfinals of the tournament. PBA Philippine Cup.
Gomez de Liano is one of the reasons why the Dyips claim a 91-85 victory over the Gin Kings in Sunday’s match at Ninoy Aquino Stadium to go 4-3 in the all-Filipino tournament, a record that has not been the norm for the league’s perennial cellar dwellers.
“We can’t relax,” said Gomez de Liano, who finished with 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting with six rebounds. “Even though we have already won four victories, we need to win at least two more to be safe.”
Things will be tougher for Terrafirma, with the next match scheduled for Wednesday against undefeated San Miguel Beer, currently considered the favorite to win it all given their loaded roster and 5-0 slate.
From there, Terrafirma plays Rain or Shine, NorthPort, and Magnolia to conclude its elimination round.
Teams that typically achieve at least six wins are all but guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals, with some getting there by picking up five or even four wins by the end of the elimination rounds.
“We have to take it one game at a time, continue to play for each other and play for our coaches to get these wins,” he said.
Terrafirma has yet to make the playoffs since the 2016 Governors Cup and is currently experiencing the longest drought in the league.
But things looked bright since the start of the tournament, with Gomez de Liano, Juami Tiongson and rookie Stephen Holt among those playing exceptionally for the Dyip.
“I guess we trust each other more in this conference,” Gomez said of Liano. “Last year we had a lot of rookies and it took time to adjust our chemistry to improve.
“Along the way, I’ve really seen improvements in each other.”