ANTIPOLO—Johnedel Cardel gave out an honest answer when someone from the press asked him if his Columbian crew is for real.
“Hindi ko alam (I really don’t know),” he said, rather curtly.
He was also very honest about what he really wants his Dyip to accomplish in the young PBA Philippine Cup, something which Columbian has more or less done after claiming another big fish in NorthPort on Friday night, 110-100, at Ynares Center here.
“What I have just been telling my players is that every game is important for us, because it is in every game where we can earn respect [from the field].”
After rising to 2-1 and snapping NorthPort’s two-game winning streak, Columbian, which scored a 124-118 upset of four-time defending champion San Miguel Beer two weeks ago, has certainly made heads turn in the young conference.
The Dyip are now parked near the top, along with the Batang Pier, just behind Phoenix’s 3-0 slate.
And it looks like teams will be better off no longer looking past their Columbian matchup, which used to be a game opponents were eager to play.
In registering their second upset, the Dyip got seven players scoring in double figures and played with unforgiving defense in the second half that proved to be key.
Later in the night, defending four-time champion San Miguel Beer, displaying razor-sharp form for the second straight game, scored a thorough 105-93 thumping of Meralco.
The Beermen peeled away from a tight first quarter with timely outside hits and the inside dominance of June Mar Fajardo and Christian Standhardinger and climbed up the standings at 2-1 while dealing the Bolts a second loss in three games.
Marcio Lassiter hit five triples on the way to 25 points, with Fajardo and Arwind Santos completing double-doubles with a combined 32 points and 21 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine also tries to stay undefeated when the Elasto Painters tangle with Barangay Ginebra in a Petron Saturday Special game slated at Calasiao Sports Complex in Pangasinan.
The Painters opened up with a 96-87 win over NLEX two Fridays ago and will be trying to deal the Gin Kings a second consecutive defeat, with Ginebra coming off a 99-91 loss at the hands of the Beermen.