Venky Jois sizzles with 43 as NorthPort turns back Terrafirma

Venky Jois introduced himself to the PBA in fiery fashion, dropping 43 points to lift NorthPort to a pulsating 108-103 victory over Terrafirma in the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 10.

The smallest import in this conference standing only at 6-foot-4, Jois more than made up for the lack of height against his counterpart, scoring in a variety of ways – from the post, off a drive and from pick-and-roll – to help the Batang Pier overcome a 10-point deficit in the second half and pick up the win.

The veteran journeyman added 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks on top of the key baskets down to overshadow his only weak point to a splendid debut – the free throw shooting where he shot a miserable 4-of-15 clip.

Arvin Tolentino, fresh off a gold medal conquest in the Asian Games, added 16 points, three steals and two blocks while Joshua Munzon and Paul Zamar added 11 and 10, respectively.

Head coach Bonnie Tan also got solid contributions from rookie Cade Flores, who at one point, strung together consecutive points, Brent Paraiso, who was solid on the defensive end, and Fran Yu whose booming triple and two free throws sealed the deal for NorthPort.

The Batang Pier actually trailed by 69-59 before Jois carried his team on his back as they engaged the Dyip to a nip-and-tuck affair in the final frame.

Two layups from Jois and a Tolentino fastbreak gave the lead to Terrafirma for good, 103-98.

Juami Tiongson paced Terrafirma with 21 points while import Thomas De Thaey added 20 points and seven rebounds before fouling out of the ball game.

Javi Gomez De Liano chipped in 17 while top overall pick Stephen Holt seemed to be still adjusting to the PBA although he finished with an all-around effort of 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.