After opening the conference with six straight victories under Jimmy Alapag, NLEX Road Warriors came back down to earth as Terrafirma Dyip defeated them, 114-109, in the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila on Friday.
Magnolia Hotshots leaned on a strong fourth-quarter finish following a rain delay to pull away from the Meralco Bolts, 105-88, in the second game of the double-header.
Here's a deeper look on Terrafirma getting an unlikely hero from their bench, and the comfort of Jerom Lastimosa to dictate the pace for Magnolia.
Paraiso's offensive boost off the bench
Terrafirma once again leaned on the offensive trio that has carried them throughout the first round.
Import Justin Strings poured in 28 points, Juami Tiongson added 20 markers, while Maverick Ahanmisi orchestrated the offense with a 17-point, 10-assist double-double to steer the Dyip back into the win column.
However, knocking off the previously unbeaten Group A leaders in NLEX required a more balanced offensive effort.
With the coaching staff opting to insert Tiongson into the starting unit, Brent Paraiso embraced the responsibility of becoming the focal point of Terrafirma's second unit, providing the scoring punch needed to sustain the offense whenever the starters took a breather.
The numbers reflected Terrafirma's aggressive offensive approach. They dominated the interior with a 54-44 edge in points in the paint while also earning a commanding 31-9 advantage in free-throw attempts, consistently putting pressure on NLEX's defense through dribble penetration and physical finishes at the rim.
Paraiso played a significant role in that identity, finishing with 18 points on an efficient 59.2 TS%. Time and again, he beat his primary defender off the dribble, forcing NLEX's help defense to collapse.
Whether he was finishing through contact or creating openings for his teammates, his downhill attacks generated multiple paint touches that led to kick-outs, extra passes, and ball reversals, keeping the Road Warriors' defense rotating throughout the contest - beyond from Strings post-up opportunities.
For the former Letran Knight, his willingness to continuously pressure the rim stemmed from a collective belief that the Dyip have embraced under the current coaching staff - a mentality of fighting until the end.
"Siguro maganda 'yung ini-instill sa amin ng mga coaches na binago 'yung culture dito, na laban kami hanggang matapos 'yung ball game," Paraiso said.
Jerom Lastimosa's command of ball screens
If Magnolia's previous victory over Barangay Ginebra showcased Zav Lucero punishing aggressive pick-and-roll blitzes, this time it was Jerom Lastimosa who dissected an entirely different defensive coverage. Against a Meralco defense that consistently went under ball screens while keeping its big men in a conservative drop, the sophomore guard patiently manipulated the coverage and repeatedly found his way into the middle of the floor.
Following the lengthy rain delay before the start of the fourth quarter, Lastimosa looked even more comfortable operating in the half court. He erupted for 11 of his 17 points in the final period, while also tallying five rebounds and six assists to help Magnolia close out the contest.
And the former Adamson Soaring Falcon's shot profile reflected just how effectively he read Meralco's defensive scheme. Rather than settling for pull-up threes after defenders went underneath the screen, Lastimosa consistently re-engaged the pick-and-roll, snaking around the screener to keep his defender on his hip before attacking the space that the Bolts willingly conceded.
With Meralco's bigs retreating toward the paint in drop coverage, he repeatedly got to his preferred spots around the free-throw line, where he mixed in soft floaters, short pull-ups, and controlled drives to the rim. The result was an efficient offensive outing, as every one of his field-goal attempts came from inside the arc, converting at a 53.8% clip.
JB Bahio impresses
Despite the defeat, NLEX stayed true to its identity by pushing the pace and relentlessly attacking the paint, forcing Terrafirma's defense to collapse before generating the best shot available.
With LJay Gonzales' fearless downhill drives and Robert Bolick orchestrating the offense, JB Bahio became the primary beneficiary around the dunker spot and low block. The 6-foot-5 forward turned those opportunities into one of his best performances in the PBA, finishing with a dominant double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds while converting an efficient 81.8% of his two-point attempts.
Bahio also drew the difficult defensive assignment of matching up against Terrafirma import Justin Strings. While Strings still finished with 28 points, Bahio made him work for every basket, holding him to an 11-for-23 clip from the field. Unfortunately for the former San Beda Red Lion, his standout two-way effort ultimately went to waste as NLEX suffered its first defeat of the conference.