Terrafirma braces for unbeaten Magnolia in final PBA On Tour game

July 16, 2023 Times Europe

Terrafirma big man Eric Camson drives against San Miguel Beer during a preseason game. PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—Terrafirma may have bounced back from its three-game losing streak in the PBA On Tour on Sunday, but the Dyip faces a tall order in trying to end their preseason on a high note.

After Dyip’s 85-72 victory over San Miguel at San Juan Arena on Sunday, coach Johnedel Cardel quickly shifted his focus on his team’s final assignment which is a clash against the undefeated Magnolia Hotshots on July 26.

“We’ll be playing against Magnolia on Wednesday (July 26) and it will really be a tough game. They’re almost really complete and they’re very serious in this [preseason], their 15 players are really solid so we’ll have to play smart,” Cardel said in Filipino.

One of the main reasons why the Hotshots have emerged as the top team in the preseason is the play of their big man James Laput.

Laput is flourishing, averaging 12.8 points on 70 percent shooting from the field and a league-high 10.6 rebounds per game.

In Dyip’s win over the Beermen, however, bigs Isaac Go and Eric Camson showed they were no pushovers in the paint, snagging 14 and 12 rebounds, respectively, in the process.

Cardel, however, didn’t seem unfazed believing his bigs Isaac Go and Eric Camson are capable of holding their own against the Hotshots, especially in the rebounding department.

Against the Beermen, Go and Camson combined for 16 points and 26 rebounds.

“Isaac’s really a big addition to this team. He’s big, agile and very smart. I keep telling him, if he can’t score, he has to help on defense and rebounds,” said Cardel.

“Eric’s a very smart player. He’s big but his thinking is really fast and that’s what I’ve been saying. You need to be smart when you play here (PBA), not just strong and talented. He uses his head,” Cardel, meanwhile, said of Camson.