Justine Baltazar’s crucial block, which enabled Converge to weather Terrafirma in a battle between Group A teams in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Wednesday evening, proved to be personal for him and the whole crew.
The athletic wing swatted away Aljon Mariano’s attempt to tie the game heading into the final 25 seconds. That wasn’t just about stalling a furious rally, but also earning a measure of payback against a team that beat them last conference.
“Tinalo kami last conference, so lagi sinasabi ng mga coaches na bumawi kami,” he said shortly after their 105-103 win at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Baltazar was referring to the 111-100 overtime defeat they suffered in their Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup encounter in Montalban last March 14. There, Mubashar Ali dropped 50 points and 25 rebounds to lead Terrafirma.
“Hindi na kami naka-score sa overtime,” he bitterly recalled.
“Talagang pumasok sa isip namin na gusto naming talunin ‘to, makabawi sa Terrafirma.”
It was the Dyip’s second win in a rare 3-0 start. But for Converge, that result marked the start of a downward spiral for the youth-laden squad, as they fell into a harrowing five-game slide that hurt their chances of advancing.
(C) PBA Images
They eventually finished the elims at 5-7 and missed the quarterfinals. For the former No. 1 pick out of La Salle, that particular defeat was the turning point of their campaign — for all the wrong reasons, though.
“Kasi kumbaga last conference… Kung hindi kami natalo sa Terrafirma, baka pumasok pa kami sa quarterfinals eh,” he reflected, as the young franchise missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2024 Philippine Cup.
That’s exactly why they wanted to get back at Terrafirma when they crossed paths again, so much so that Baltazar asked head coach Delta Pineda not to sub him out down the stretch.
No doubt that was the right decision, as the Gilas forward came up with a clutch block on the veteran big man, who initially had enough space underneath until the 29-year-old quickly went his way and rose for the swat.
Maverick Ahanmisi’s miss from the four sealed the deal as time expired, helping Converge avert a meltdown after losing a 16-point lead.
“Talagang pinagtrabahuhan namin ‘yung Terrafirma,” said Baltazar, who finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. “‘Yun nga lang bandang huli, maswerte sila lalo na ‘yung import nila, nakaka-shoot sa labas.
“Kasi nung una hindi talaga eh. So sabi ko kay Boss, ‘Wag muna akong ilabas; gusto kong manalo. Buti na lang hindi na-shoot ‘yung four points.”
But of course, Baltazar knows revenge on an old adversary isn’t the only goal. The team has set its sights on racking up wins — they’re now at 2-0 in the group, sitting just behind the 3-0 NLEX.
“Talagang pumasok sa isip namin na gusto naming talunin ‘to, makabawi sa Terrafirma. Kasi kailangan naming magpapanalo, e. Macau pa ‘yung sunod, tas malalakas na ‘yung kalaban namin sa susunod,” he said.
