PBA: Chongqui, Perry lead way as surging Macau escapes Terrafirma 

Playing through pain, Damian Chongqui and import De'Vondre Perry came up big as Macau fended off Terrafirma, 96-92, in the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Chongqui scored 13 points during the fourth quarter to finish with 29, while Perry led all scorers with 34 points, along with 14 rebounds, two assists, and two steals, as the Giant Pandas secured their first back-to-back wins since joining the league last conference.

Macau, which was coming off a win over Titan Ultra, erased a 15-point deficit to beat Terrafirma and improve to 2-4 in Group A, while the Dyip also dropped to 2-4.

"They've really been going through it all. Damian had a deep thigh contusion, Perry [hurt] his shoulder and his back, so we let them rest for a few days. But while practice was going on, they were still on the sidelines, focused, and listening to the game plan," Macau head coach Marcus Elliott said.

"They're pretty much gametime decisions. I just really appreciate them being some dogs, being tough-minded, and gritty."

Struggling to get things going in the first half, which ended with Terrafirma holding a 54-43 lead, the guest team regrouped and unleashed a huge third quarter, with Kobey Lam and Perry combining for three triples to pull the Giant Pandas to within two, 60-58.

Chongqui then caught fire with eight points during a 14-8 closing run in the third quarter, helping Macau seize a 72-68 lead.

Terrafirma regained the lead behind Tiongson, who drained two triples early in the fourth, including one set up by Geo Chiu's hustle play, for a 90-88 advantage. But Chongqui and Perry answered with a jumper and a hook shot, respectively, to force a 92-all deadlock with 44.6 seconds left.

Lam came up with a crucial steal that he converted into an and-one opportunity. Though he missed the free throw, he grabbed the offensive rebound and set up Chongqui for two free throws, which the latter knocked down to ice the game with 4.1 seconds remaining.

The loss spoiled a 34-point outing from Justin Strings and a 20-point performance by Maverick Ahanmisi.

Scores:

Macau 96 – Perry 34, Chongqui 29, Lam 12, Cao 9, Leung 8, Ma 2, Lu 2, Chao 0, Liu 0.

Terrafirma 92 – Strings 34, Ahanamisi 20, Tiongson 15, Paraiso 9, Chiu 6, Bravo 4, Eriobu 2, Garcia 2, Hanapi 0, Mariano 0, Catapusan 0, Umali 0, Adamos 0.

Quarters: 19-28, 43-54, 72-68, 96-92.

—JKC, GMA News