PBA Philippine Cup: Win or bust for Tropang Texters in Game Four

Is defending champion Talk 'N Text beginning to implode? Not yet, but by the words of coach Chot Reyes, it's Game Four or bust for the Tropang Texters in their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series with the Petron Blaze Boosters Wednesday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. "We have no other option. If we lose Game Four, it’s over," said Reyes, moments after seeing his team lose a 20-point lead that allowed Petron to escape with a 95-93 win Monday night as the Boosters took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven contest. "We have no other choice. Either we win on (Wednesday) or go home." Reyes chided his team for committing mental lapses in the series, but in the end put the blame on himself especially with the way they lost the last time. "We're losing this series on mental lapses," the Talk 'N Text coach said. "We keep making mental mistakes after mental mistakes after mental mistakes." One of those mistakes that cost the Tropang Texters a win came on a defensive breakdown, which saw Ryan Reyes leave Alex Cabagnot open when he tried to help defend Danny Ildefonso in the middle. But Ildefonso had the presence of mind to toss the ball back outside to an open Cabagnot, and before Reyes could switch back on defense, the Petron playmaker already let loose an arching three-pointer that hit the mark and put the Boosters in front for good, 94-93, with 12.9 seconds to go. "It was my fault," Reyes said. "I should have told Ryan (Reyes) not to help on defense. He also was the man of Danny Ildefonso when Ildefonso made that shot in Game One of the Finals last season (Governors Cup)." "That's what happens when you're careless, when you don't take care of business. We allowed them to come back and steal it in the end." A lot is at at stake in Game Four that the Tropang Texters—bidding to become the first team to repeat as All-Filipino champions in the last 27 years—held a players' meeting only Tuesday afternoon. The necessity is understandable. Losing for the third straight game will have Text 'N Text facing a 3-1 deficit, a huge hole only two teams—Ginebra and Purefoods—in the history of the PBA were able to overcome and win it all. Ginebra did it in the First Conference championship series of the 1991 season against Shell, while Purefoods duplicated the feat against Alaska in the 2006-07 Philippine Cup semi-finals.   Despite winning the last two games of the semis, Petron mentor Ato Agustin remains cautious against the reigning champions. "Lamang kami 2-1, pero di ko masasabi," he said. "Kita naman sa mga games, match na match ang mga teams. Breaks of the game lang talaga nagkakatalo.” — JVP, GMA News