Justine Baltazar’s crucial black that 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 swatting away Aljon Mariano’s attempt to tie the game heading into the final 25 seconds meant more than just stalling a furious rally, but 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, which saw Mubashar Ali drop 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 got into a harrowing five-game slide that hurt their chances to advance.
(C) PBA Images
They eventually finished the elims at 5-7 and missed the quarterfinals. And for the former No. 1 pick out of La Salle, that particular defeat proved to be 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 anew, so much so that the Baltazar himself asked no less than head coach Delta Pineda to refrain from subbing him out down the stretch.
No doubt that they all made 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.
And sealing the deal was Maverick Ahanmisi missing the four as time expired, ultimately enabling Converge to 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, it’s not lost on Baltazar that getting back at an old adversary isn’t the only goal, with their eyes now set on raking in as many wins as they can—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.
