MANILA, Philippines – Andrew Nicholson showed skidding Terrafirma no mercy and catapulted Bay Area to a lopsided 130-76 win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig on Friday, October 21.

Nicholson erupted for 31 points in the first half and finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds as the Dragons earned their sixth win overall and sent the Dyip crashing to a 22nd straight defeat dating back to last season.

Terrafirma had no answer for Nicholson’a hot shooting, and at one point, the former NBA veteran outscored the entire Dyip in a single quarter.

Bay Area led by just 7 points midway through the opening period, 14-7, before Nicholson authored a personal 19-9 run highlighted by 3 triples that put the Dragons atop a comfortable 33-16 cushion.

That lead nearly grew three-folds in the third frame as Bay Area already hit the century mark, 101-62, even with a quarter left to play.

Nicholson then sat out the entire final salvo, but the Dragons kept their feet on the gas en route to sharing the record for the second-biggest winning margin in PBA history.

Bay Area fell just a point shy of tying the PBA all-time record of a 55-point win held by Utex when it coasted to a 154-99 win over Great Taste in 1980.

Zheng Qilong fired 17 points, Song Jianhua put up 15 points, while Zhu Songwei added 12 points in the rout that saw the Dragons eclipse their biggest winning margin after they mauled Blackwater by 46 points in their PBA debut.

Usual Bay Area suspects Kobey Lam and Hayden Blankley chimed in 9 points each and combined for 11 rebounds.

Glenn Yang added 8 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds as the Dragons improved to 6-1.

Juami Tiongson posted 21 points, while import Lester Prosper churned out 19 points and 7 rebounds for the Dyip, who fell to 0-6 this conference.

No other Terrafirma player scored in double figures.

The Scores

Bay Area 130 – Nicholson 37, Zheng 17, Song 15, Zhu 12, Blankley 9, Lam 9, Yang 8, Si 7, Liu 5, Liang 4, Zhang 3, Reid 2, Ju 2.

Terrafirma 76 – Tiongson 21, Prosper 18, Munzon 9, Cahilig 8, Camson 5, Gomez de Liano 4, Alolino 4, Mina 3, Calvo 2, Gabayni 2, Javelona 0, Ramos 0, Grospe 0, Balagasay 0.

Quarters: 35-18, 67-37, 101-62, 130-76.

– Rappler.com