Terrafirma Dyip may be winless after two games in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, but head coach Ronald Tubid sees a team that has already shown it can compete.
The problem, according to the veteran mentor, is that Terrafirma continues to put itself in difficult situations by waiting too long before showing its best basketball.
The Dyip absorbed another heartbreaking setback on Wednesday, falling to the Converge FiberXers, 105-103, just days after opening their campaign with a 101-100 loss to NLEX. Both defeats came down to the final possessions, leaving Terrafirma searching for answers despite showing the ability to battle against stronger opponents.
Against Converge, the Dyip found themselves trailing by double digits before mounting a furious comeback in the closing minutes. A 7-0 surge, highlighted by a Juami Tiongson three-pointer with just over a minute remaining, gave Terrafirma a chance to steal the game, but the FiberXers managed to survive the late scare.
While the result added another loss to their record, Tubid focused on the positives, particularly his team’s resilience and belief that it can match up with the league’s best.
“Sobrang maganda yun eh, yung culture na kaya. Kaya pala makipag-compete and may chance manalo. So lesson learned na hindi dapat yung laro pang third quarter or fourth quarter yung habol. Kailangan pag first quarter palang, ratsada na. Once we keep it close, may chance kami manalo,” he said.
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For the nine-time PBA champion, the challenge now is turning that fighting spirit into a complete 48-minute effort.
Terrafirma has repeatedly shown it can recover from difficult positions, but digging out of large holes has made their path to victory much harder.
“Like last game, kailangan namin mag-compete from first quarter to fourth quarter. Kasi second quarter, third quarter natatambakan kami. So kailangan namin maghabol so parang ang hirap,” Tubid said.
“What’s better siguro sabi namin sa players, all we know is kaya naman natin eh. We play our A game every game. Pero no need to wait for third quarter kasi mahirap eh,” he added.
The Dyip’s slow starts have become their biggest obstacle, especially in a conference where every possession matters and early deficits can quickly become difficult to erase. Tubid believes the same confidence his players display during their comeback attempts must appear from the opening tip.
Despite the 0-2 record, Terrafirma remains encouraged by the fact that its losses have been decided by only a combined three points. The team now hopes to turn those near-misses into lessons as it prepares for an even tougher challenge against one of the league’s powerhouse squads.
“Back to the drawing board again, back to zero against San Miguel. Hopefully hindi kami matambakan ulit bago mahabol,” he said.
Terrafirma will look to secure its first win of the conference when it faces the San Miguel Beermen on Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
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