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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
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04
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25
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2024
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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
04
25
2024
TALK N Text got alternating fire from Ranidel de Ocampo and Jayson Castro and also got a much-needed break to beat Rain or Shine, 99-92, in a testy match Wednesday and even up their PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
De Ocampo matched his career-high with 33 points while Castro, after being named Best Player of the Conference, added 25 points and six assists as the Tropang Texters snapped out of a two-game funk to match their winning score in the series opener and turn it into a best-of-three.
“We tied the series, we live to fight another day,” simply said TNT coach Jong Uichico.
A big help also came the Texters’ way when the Elasto Painters’ Wayne Chism, named Best Import before the match, picked up four quick fouls early and was hardly a factor. He still finished with 13 points, but only on 2-for-10 field shooting and just under 27 minutes of action.
Trying to hold the fort, Chris Tiu emerged with a career-high 21 points and Paul Lee 17 and Rain or Shine grittily hung on to TNT’s coattails until the early part of the fourth period.
Then the Texters’ superior firepower came to the fore on this particular night, highlighted by Larry Fonacier draining a triple that pegged the game’s biggest difference at 92-78, time down to the final 5:42.
After figuring in another ugly incident, Ivan Johnson finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
“We just lost because our import got into foul trouble and we couldn’t play him,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. “We tried to hold on and for a while we did a good job. But for sure the other team, at some point was able to take advantage.”
The match was not without the incident much worse than Lee’s mouth getting bloodied off a Johnson charge in Game 3.
Rookie Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and veteran E-Painter Jireh Ibañes sparked the incident at the final 9:47 mark when they figured in a wrestling match during a rebound play. The shoving and pulling resulted in Rosser pushing Ibañes into the seats along the baseline.
JR Quiñahan then threw the ball at Rosser’s face, resulting in both teams’ benches emptying and Johnson being prevented by league and security from mixing it up with Quiñahan.
When order was restored, Rosser and Ibañes were both thrown out for fighting stances and Quiñahan followed suit with a deemed flagrant foul penalty 2 infraction.
The three have been ordered to appear before Commissioner Chito Salud Thursday morning.
Chism started becoming a virtual non-factor when he picked up his third foul with still 5:39 left in the first quarter and his fourth against De Ocampo, still 9:09 remaining in the second.
Despite that and Jeff Chan not seeing action due to a sore right foot, Rain or Shine still kept duking it out with TNT and trimmed what was a 19-25 deficit to just 41-42 at the half.
Lee was at the forefront of the E-Painters’ fightback as he scattered nine of his points in the second with Ibañes adding six aside from anchoring the defense anew on Castro.
Unlike the last two games, the Texters’ big three were clicking on all cylinders, however, and they combined for 30 of the team’s 32 points in the third that pushed them up, 74-66.
Chism was re-inserted into the game at the 6:18 mark of the third, but he got limited to just five free throws. (NC)
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