TO THE RESCUE
Expect Jimmy Alapag to give his team the necessary jolt whenever the squad needs it.
The 37-year-old playmaker came to the rescue for Talk ‘N Text as he was everywhere in the final canto of their semifinal opener against Rain or Shine Monday, drilling backbreaking triples, dishing dimes, and saving loose balls like his life depended on it.
And to no one’s surprise, his team reigned supreme, 91-85, with Alapag banging in 11 of his 15 points in the fourth, powered by a 4-of-5 shooting from rainbow country to go with three assists.
Most importantly, the Tropang Texters rolled on to their 11th straight victory and gained the early headstart.
With the game already in their pocket, the 2011 MVP didn’t want to go ahead of himself despite TNT still being undefeated in the 2014 PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“We’re really not too conscious of our record,” he said. “Our focus is on Rain or Shine. They’re a tough team and a championship team, and we’re happy to get the first game in a best-of-five, but all our focus now is on Wednesday.”
Knowing that anyone in his team can explode at any moment, Alapag just said that he was lucky that he was the one who delivered the knockout blows in this game, and his performance is largely attributed to teamwork.
“I got some great passes from Jayson (Castro) and got freed in a couple of screens,” he said.
“In our team, the ball finds where it’s supposed to go, and I was the one tonight to get open looks in the fourth quarter, and I’m glad that I knocked them down cause we needed it.”
With Game 2 now expected to go as rugged as it was in the final seconds of the game, Alapag said that they’re just bracing themselves for more of this no-nonsense basketball in the games to come.
“It’s a real grind out physical game. It’s what you expect in the semifinals. There’s a lot of similarities with them and our deep bench, a lot of guys who can score, but our focus right now is getting ready for Game 2,” he said. (RL)
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