Games today:

(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)

3 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs TNT

6:15 p.m. — Meralco vs NLEX

Terrafirma pulled off the improbable by shocking top seed and twice-to-beat defending champion San Miguel Beer, 106-95, to force a rubber match in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup quarterfinals Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Juami Tiongson and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Stephen Holt connected timely baskets to keep the Beermen at bay in the third quarter before the Dyip controlled the final canto to secure the all-important victory and live to fight another day.

The do-or-die match is set Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Terrafirma came into the game full of fight, bringing the momentum of its playoff win for the last and No. 8 quarters berth over NorthPort last Wednesday.

Tiongson had 29 points including 10 in the fourth quarter in an efficient 11-of-20 field goal shooting while adding six rebounds and three assists for the Dyip. Holt added 25 points and eight boards, Isaac Go had 22 points while taking the tough task of defending San Miguel center June Mar Fajadro.

Javi Gomez de Liano showcased his all-around game to come three dishes short of a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for Terrafirma.

Dyip head coach Johnedel Cardel attributed the huge upset to defense.

“We’re playing good defense. They all know their role inside even though they’re switching. San Miguel was playing with four smalls, they took their shots from the three-point area so we needed everyone to play defense,” he said after the franchise’s first playoffs game in eight years.

“Isaac did great defending June Mar, which was exhausting.”

The Dyip’s victory marked the first time a bottom-seeded team forced a No. 1-ranked squad into a sudden death since NorthPort beat NLEX twice in the 2019 Governors’ Cup quarters.

San Miguel threatened late in the third, 71-74, off a CJ Perez layup with 2:20 left but Holt answered with two charities that ignited an 8-3 closing run to enter the last period with a nine-point lead.

Terrafirma kept its distance in the fourth, not allowing San Miguel to come closer than eight.

Fajardo had 21 points and 16 rebounds, Perez added 20 points while Jericho Cruz and Marcio Lassiter made 11 and 10 points, respectively, in San Miguel’s second straight defeat after a winning its first 10 games in the all-Filipino Conference.