MANILA, Philippines -- The Terrafirma Dyip is heading back to the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2016 after edging the NorthPort Batang Pier, 104-96, in a cardiac contest Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
With the win, the Dyip will be facing the top-seeded San Miguel Beermen in the quarterfinals.
Guard Juami Tiongson exploded for the Dyip with 30 points, five rebounds and three assists. Javi Gomez de Liano added 21 points and seven rebounds.
Terrafirma led by just one, 82-81, at the end of the third quarter.
Gomez de Liano then caught fire, scoring 10 points in the first five minutes of the payoff period to help the Dyip go up by four, 92-88.
With the two teams going scoreless in the next three minutes of play, Stephen Holt danced with Joshua Munzon and stepped back for a 3-pointer with 4:02 remaining to go up by seven, 95-88.
With their backs against the wall, NorthPort, led by Cade Flores, tried to mount a comeback, unleashing a 8-3 run to cut the lead to two, 96-98, with 1:48 remaining.
Tiongson answered with a timely and-one play off a pull-up jumper to guide Terrafirma to a five-point lead, 101-96, with 1:33 to go.
An and-one play by Stephen Holt with 39.5 seconds left iced the game and the quarterfinal berth of Terrafirma.
Holt stuffed the statsheet anew with a statline of 18 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals.
Isaac Go added 13 for the Dyip.
Zav Lucero poured in 17 markers and six boards for NorthPort off the bench, while Flores had 16 and five.
Arvin Tolentino, who started the game, finished with just 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting. He had eight boards and four dimes.
Terrafirma, which clinched its first playoff berth in the PBA since the 2016 Governors' Cup, will be at a twice-to-win disadvantage against the Beermen. The schedule of the game is still yet to be announced.