Down goes NLEX.
The NLEX Road Warriors absorbed their first loss of the Jimmy Alapag era after getting stunned by the Terrafirma Dyip, 114-109, Friday evening at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
Terrafirma finished the game with a 9-0 run to grab its third win in seven games.
Justin Strings paced the Dyip with 28 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Juami Tiongson added 20 markers and three boards, while Brent Paraiso had 18 off the bench.
The game was tight in the final quarter, with both teams exchanging leads early on in the final quarter.
A 9-2 run capped by a Tiongson trey pushed the Dyip ahead, 100-96, with 7:37 remaining.
But a 13-5 counter-blitz, capped by a JB Bahio deuce, towed the Road Warriors ahead, 109-105, with 3:11 to go.
Back-to-back-to-back layups courtesy of Geo Chiu and Paraiso, then, gave Terrafirma the 111-109 advantage with 1:01 left.
DeQuan Jones, then, tried to tie things up, but missed.
On the other end, Terrafirma melted the clock. Paraiso tried to beat the shot clock but missed, but he was able to grab the offensive board, prompting NLEX to foul him.
He made both freebies, and in the next possession, Jones tried to tie it up anew with a 4-point shot, which missed.
An insurance freebie by Mav Ahanmisi iced the game for Terrafirma, which won two of its last three games.
Ahanmisi and JM Bravo chipped in 16 points each for the Dyip.
Bahio and Robert Bolick spearheaded NLEX with 20 points each. Jones backstopped with 19 markers while Schonny Winston had 16 for the 6-1 Road Warriors.