TEXTERS ESCAPE EXPRESS AXE
TALK N Text and Richard Howell showed a different aspect of their game each.
After easily taking their opening game the Tropang Texters displayed they could come out on top of a close game too by eking out a 95-91 victory over gritty Air21 Saturday to vault into the PBA Commissioner’s Cup’s early lead at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Howell was at the forefront of it all, following up his 30-rebound game in a cruising 85-72 victory over Alaska just last Friday with a gamehigh 29 points he capped with two crucial baskets that gave TNT the cushion it so direly needed inside the last 55 seconds.
“Howell played pretty well in the second half,” noted winning coach Norman Black of their reinforcement, who had to sit out majority of the first half due to foul trouble before exploding for 19 of his points in the last two quarters.
Topping it all up, the 23-year-old made 11 of his 21 field goal attempts all around the rim and sank seven of his 10 charity tries in just 30 minutes of play.
“He’s shown he’s very strong inside and he’s a good defender,” was how Black summarized Howell’s game.
Now TNT sits on top of the heap of the 10-team field, quite a luxury considering the teams play only nine games in the eliminations.
“It feels good to get our second win,” noted Black. “It’s important this conference to get a win because it’s a sprint.”
Howell made sure of that. His last basket, a shotclock-beating undergoal stab off a Kelly Williams feed, made it a 93-89 game before the Texters’ defense held out and forced a Macmac Cardona turnover, which Jimmy Alapag translated into an insurance charity for a five-point spread, only 11 seconds left.
Asi Taulava notched 23 points and 11 rebounds and Herve Lamizana finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and as many blocked shots. Yet Air21 still failed to follow up its 83-78 conquest of GlobalPort last Wednesday.
Mark Borboran and Simon Atkins added 10 points apiece for the Express, but Joseph Yeo and Cardona visibly struggled as they combined for only 15 points, 17 below their production against the Batang Pier.
Howell had plenty of help. Jayson Castro notched 22 points, Alapag 14 and Ranidel de Ocampo 12 before the latter fouled out off Lamizana with still 45 ticks left.
The Ivory Coast native’s charities moved Air21 within 89-91 and the Express tried to pressure Alapag with a double team in TNT’s ensuing possession. But the wily court general did not panic and found Williams, who drew the defense before issuing the pass for Howell’s twinner.
It was a tough loss for the Express, who fell behind by 11 points early but used the foul throw to get back in the game. In all, they made 27 of 37 charity tries to the Texters’ 24-for-37.
That is one area Black said his team should work on. “We’ve got to play better defense without fouling,” he stated.
The Express’ aggressiveness and hang tough-attitude also impressed Black.
“My hat’s off to the Air21 team. They played well today and they gave us a tough time,” said Black. “It’s just that our defense held out in the end tonight.”
Indeed, although it never led in the second half Air21 put up a whale of a fight, drawing level for the first time at 49 and engaging TNT through two more deadlocks, the last at 76-all.
Although the Texters threatened to pull away with an 82-76 lead through Alapag’s six straight points, the Express did not give up and stayed close, no little thanks to Taulava, Borboran and Yeo.
Castro’s own shotclock-beating banked shot and Lamizana’s freebie kept Air21 within 87-89, but then came Howell’s putback off his own miss. (NC)
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