TALK N TEXT ON TOP
Coach Norman Black flashed a good smile on his face at the end of his very first experience of being thrown out of a game.
“It’s very lonely in the locker room as I was there by my lonesome. It’s my first in 28 years. I don’t know if I deserved it, but so be it,” Black said.
He got a big relief as Talk n Text stayed together in the face of San Miguel Beer’s endgame siege and salvaged a 107-99 win to seize solo lead in the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday.
The Tropang Texters built a 19-point spread in the second quarter and, without their ejected coach in the last 13 minutes of play, notched a third straight win in the mid-season tourney.
“I have to thank coach Sandy (Arespacochaga) and the rest of the coaching staff for taking over, and the players for coming through in the clutch especially Richard (Howell),” Black said.
“Richard delivered coming down the stretch then Jimmy (Alapag) came through at the finish,” Black added.
Howell and Alapag kept Talk n Text intact under tremendous pressure at endgame, and the Texters pulled through, smothering the Beermen in their first game with Kevin Jones in tow.
Howell more than held his own against Jones, piling up 38 points, 20 rebounds, five steals and four assists while Alapag showed up his SMB counterparts, getting away with 18 markers, seven assists and three rebounds.
The duo struck hardest in the payoff period, combining for 21 points.
Alapag knocked in at least a trey in each quarter. At the finish, he buried one then drained two charities as the Texters made it 102-96 with under a minute left to play.
“It’s a big win because we know how good a team San Miguel Beer is. It’s something we can build on,” said Black, who gave all the credit to his coaching staff and his players.
He said he didn’t need to send instructions to his staff.
“Coach Sandy has been with me for 11 years. He pretty knows how I think. And, of course, he had to make his decisions and he did well,” said Black, banished from the game late in the third for back-to-back “T.”
Jones, the replacement to Josh Boone, produced 35 points and 13 rebounds in his PBA debut. He could have done more if not getting into foul-trouble situation early.
With better ball rotation and better shooting, the Texters led by 19 at 51-32 before settling for a 51-38 spread at the turn.
Focusing on getting the rebounds, Howell still paced the Texters in the first half with 13 markers mostly on putbacks.
Jones had 18 as he dominated their touches, making 18 attempts in the first 24 minutes of play.
San Miguel narrowed down the gap to 13 at the half on back-to-back treys by Jones and Paolo Hubalde. (SB)
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