TNT INCHES CLOSER TO ANOTHER FINALS STINT
TALK ‘N Text is now on the verge of a third straight PBA Philippine Cup finals appearance.
The Tropang Texters hung tough in the face of an Alaska fightback for a 99-95 win Sunday that moved them within another win of wrapping up their semifinals duel at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Manny V. Pangilinan-owned franchise now leads the best-of-seven series, 3-2, and can close the deal as early as Game 6 Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome for a shot at a three-peat in the league’s most prestigious tournament and permanent ownership of the Emilio “Jun” Bernardino perpetual all-Fiipino Championship trophy.
Head coach Norman Black has a determined bunch of players to thank for the victory that came in the heels of a 99-104 loss last Friday.
“It was a very competitive game and the guys bounced back,” said Black, whose team trailed by eight points early but recovered in time to post its own 14-point spread.
That still proved to be almost not enough.
“I give Alaska credit. They make adjustments as the series goes on,” noted Black. “I figured it’s gonna be tough. They have a lot of young players. They’re tough, they don’t want to give up.”
Youth and relative inexperience helped do Alaska in this time.
In a timeout, Aces head coach Luigi Trillo drew up a play for a triple they needed to tie the game at 95. But instead of handing off to JVee Casio, Calvin Abueva opted to go for a drive and lost the ball to the baseline in the process, only 8.0 ticks left.
Jayson Castro then split his charities off RJ Jazul’s foul for what would prove to be the four-point difference that stood until the end.
Ryan Reyes scored 15 points on 6-for-9 field shooting to lead the way for TNT with Ranidel de Ocampo, Larry Fonacier, Jared Dillinger,Jimmy Alapag,Kelly Williams and Harvey Carey each notching at least 10 points.
The ill-advised play ruined what should have been a sterling night for Abueva, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, his ninth double-double in the conference.
Cyrus Baguio added 14 points and five assists and four other Alaska players had at least 10 points each. But all of them and the rest of the Aces took a long time getting their acts together.
When Alaska did, it was quite remarkable to behold and left Black and the rest of TNT on pins and needles.
Triples by Casio and Baguio fueled the Aces’ steady fightback before Dondon Hontiveros beat the buzzer with a corner trey that made it just 71-79 game going to the final quarter.
Alaska was far from finished. Williams’ banked shot gave TNT a 97-88 spread, but that was nearly razed when the Aces went on a 7-1 surge, capped by another Hontiveros trey and an Espinas putback, that moved them within 95-98, still 37.5 seconds to go.
The Aces had the chance to tie when De Ocampo missed a triple try, but then came the blown play by Abueva.
“The goal and the task now is come back in Game Six and play good defense again,” said Black.
It became a long, drawn-out affair when the two teams committed a total 49 fouls, resulting in a veritable free throw shooting contest with 59 total charities awarded.
Black, who with Trillo expressed apprehensions about the referees’ judgment on the eve of the game, said the combatants focused on playing. “Both teams concentrated on basketball this time, not worried about the referees that much,” he stated.
Especially his Tropang Texters, for they picked up from where they left off by stretching their 12-point halftime lead to the game’s biggest difference.
Reyes’ trey kicked off the surge with Dillinger capping it with a triple of his own plus a putback, the last pegging a 63-49 difference with 6:39 left in the third quarter.
What De Ocampo started Alapag, Dillinger, Fonacier and Castro stoked, enabling TNT to charge back and take a 55-43 lead at the half.
De Ocampo scattered 11 points and outscored by three the entire Alaska crew by himself during that five-minute stretch as the Texters clambered back from a 25-27 deficit and into a 43-35 lead.
That visibly fired up the other TNT players, with Alapag, playing on his 35th birthday. stringing up five points, Fonacier draining a trey and Castro scooting in for a layup that stretched their advantage. (NC)
The scores:
TALK N’ TEXT 99 – Reyes 15, De Ocampo 13, Fonacier 12, Dillinger 11, Alapag 11, Williams 10, Carey 10, Castro 9, Peek 8, Raymundo 0, Aban 0.
ALASKA 95 – Abueva 19, Baguio 14, Espinas 13, Baracael 12, Jazul 11, Thoss 10, Casio 8, Hontiveros 6, Belasco 2, Reyes 0, Dela Cruz 0.
Quarterscores: 20-20, 55-43, 79-71, 99-95
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