TALK N TEXT TABS 2ND QF INCENTIVE
Ivan Johnson dished out his best game in the local pro league in an opportune time Sunday, exploding for nine three-pointers and a total of 47 points as Talk n Text quelled Alaska, 101-93, to secure second seeding behind Rain or Shine in the coming PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.
With only an 11-of-39 clip from beyond the arc in his first five games with Talk n Text, Johnson hit a good rhythm in this crucial setto, converting 9-of-14 triples and shooting 16-of-28 in all from the field as the former Atlanta Hawk gave the Texters a big boost on the way to nailing a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
In winning their last two games in the elims versus San Miguel Beer and Alaska, the Texters caught up with the Elasto Painters and the Purefoods Star Hotshots with identical 8-3 win-loss closing cards in the elims.
Rain or Shine and Talk n Text ended as the Top Two upon the application of the quotient tiebreak system with Purefoods settling for No. 3 and a spot in the best-of-three quarterfinals.
Rain or Shine ended with 1.025 quotient points as against Talk n Text’s 1.01 and Purefoods’ .969.
“Walang ibang importante except to get the twice-to-beat advantage. At least you’ve got the higher probability on your side,” said Talk n Text coach Jong Uichico.
Rain or Shine, Talk n Text and Purefoods, however, will still wait for their quarter pairings with two play dates left in the elimination round.
Alaska (4-6), Barako Bull (4-6), GlobalPort (4-6), Kia (4-7) and San Miguel Beer (3-7) are five teams still slugging it out for the two remaining berths in the Final Eight.
The Texters put the Aces in a precarious position in winning their key match that saw emotions run high at the finish at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Johnson and Abueva had their taunting tussle practically the entire second half. At the end, Alaska coach Alex Compton had a verbal altercation with Johnson.
“It happens in the game; part of the playoffs. Emotion and intensity are so high as teams want to get an advantage somewhere,” said Uichico.
“Pero pagkatapos ng laro, dapat tapos na. Our import was going out already, dapat tapos na yun,” Uichico added.
Johnson also went 6-of-6 from the stripe on the way to surpassing his previous PBA best of 41 points against the Beermen Wednesday.
Ranidel de Ocampo, Jason Castro, Jay Washington, Larry Fonacier and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser played their roles as the Texters dominated the Aces, leading by as many as 25.
Johnson piled up 30 points as the Texters took the half at 48-31.
Talk n Text made it 74-56 at the end of the third and stretched it to 79-64 on a three-pointer by Washington early in the fourth.
The Texters sizzled with a total of 17 three-pointers as against the Aces’ 10. (SB)
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