TNT IN COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN OVER GINEBRA
With the playoff matchups set, Talk n Text could have just gone through the motion and, no matter what happened, would still go to the post-elims play as the top seed.
But as a proud team that they are, the Tropang Texters met head-on a tough challenge offered by the Barangay Ginebra Kings and earned more respect as they pulled through, 87-80, in the closing match of the PBA Philippine Cup elimination round at the MOA Arena in Pasay City Sunday night.
“There’s no such thing as no-bearing game for us as we owe it to the fans,” said Talk n Text coach Norman Black after the game marked by much physical plays leaving Mark Caguioa with a cut above his left eye and Jimmy Alapag with an injured finger.
“I have been in the league a long time that I know how people behind it work hard. And sometimes we just have to think about the league more than about the players or about the teams,” Black also said.
The Tropang Texters stood their ground in their rugged match with the Kings, further boosting their league-best record to 12-2.
The Kings, meanwhile, closed out their elims stint at sixth place at 7-7.
The playoff phase begins Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with Meralco up against Alaska Milk and Rain or Shine versus Barangay Ginebra in the opener of their respective best-of-three quarterfinals showdowns.
The Bolts surged past a James Yap-less San Mig Coffee side, 87-77, earlier in the night to finalize all the playoff matchups.
Meralco closed out with an 8-6 win-loss card for fourth place behind Talk n Text, San Mig Coffee (9-5) and Rain or Shine (8-4).
As the top two seeds, Talk n Text and San Mig Coffee enjoy twice-to-beat advantage in their own quarters duels with eighth-ranked Air21 and No. 7 Petron Blaze, respectively.
The Tropang Texters gave themselves a good tune-up for their first game in the playoffs Thursday, gutting it out to beat the Kings.
Jayson Castro topscored with 24 points while Ali Peek fired 16 markers and grabbed 18 rebounds as the Texters fought back from a 17-point third-quarter deficit and pulled through in holding the Kings down to seven points in the fourth quarter.
Kelly Williams and Larry Fonacier were two other TnT players who scored in double-figures with 13 and 11, respectively.
Fonacier banged away a three-pointer as Talk n Text all but sealed the outcome of the game, 86-79, entering the last two minutes of play.
The Texters changed the complexion of the game by becoming more aggressive in the second half, dominating the boards in the process.
They surged ahead at 75-73 in scoring all first seven points in the final canto and kept the Kings at bay the rest of the way in continuing to assert themselves at the paint.
Mark Caguioa and LA Tenorio paced the losing team with 20 and 19 points, respectively. (SB)
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