PBA: TNT, B-MEG clash for Commissioner’s Cup gold

Four wins separate two teams from one championship, as the Finals series of the 2012 PBA Commissioner’s Cup kicks off tomorrow, pitting the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters against the B-MEG Llamados at the Araneta Coliseum.   While both teams pack some impressive firepower in their line-ups, a lot of attention will be deservedly given to the coaches in charge of the two squads.   For B-MEG, it’s an opportunity to give new mentor Tim Cone his first crown under their banner, after an impressive run with the Alaska Aces.   On the other side, Talk ‘N Text wants to send off National Team coach Chot Reyes with the Grand Slam they came inches away from claiming last season.   But while the Texters can boast of a championship pedigree, this Llamados team has only gotten better with each passing game. This is a match-up that is expected to go long and down to the wire, and it’s only fitting that we take a look back at their previous encounter in this tournament.   What happened before   In the midst of an import-reinforced conference without a height limit, the Texters were forced to go All-Filipino, after Omar Samhan went down with an ACL-tear, and time constraints prevented them from finding a replacement before this game.   TNT then further hamstrung themselves when head coach Chot Reyes got himself ejected with a second technical foul.   But despite all that, the Texters still found a way to win, burning the Llamados from downtown. Jayson Castro hammered home the nail in the coffin with a trey that made it 101-95 for Talk ‘N Text with 25.2 seconds left, as B-MEG fell despite the odds being stacked in their favor.    

B-MEG	February 29, 2012	Talk ‘N Text
96	Points	102
44.4% (4/9)	Three-point percentage	46.3% (19/41)
44.2% (38/86)	Field goal percentage	43.2% (38/88)
64.0% (16/25)	Free throw percentage	43.8% (7/16)
52	Rebounds	48
18	Assists	24
11	Turnovers	7
11	Fouls	24
0	Turnover points	15
Denzel Bowles - 38	Import scoring	No import - 0

  No foreign big man? No problem for Talk ‘N Text, as they got 29 rebounds from the trio of Harvey Carey, Ali Peek and Ranidel De Ocampo. That helped them pull down just four less  boards than B-MEG, who got 12 from import Denzel Bowles. B-MEG managed just two more offensive rebounds, 14-12, but they at least got an additional five second-chance points out of them, 16-11.   The three-point shooting, however, is what causes eyes to pop out. Their 19 made triples is a conference record, and is the only time B-MEG ever conceded more than 10 converted treys. Castro led the way with a 6-for-7 night, but De Ocampo was not far behind, with a 5-for-8 clip. They didn’t even need three-point specialist Larry Fonacier (1-of-5) to show up for the game.   The other major sticking point for the Llamados was an inability to get out and run, scoring all of two points via fast break and none off a turnover. Obviously, both those figures were lows for them in the Commissioner’s Cup. Though they’re not exactly a run-and-gun team, they’d no doubt want to bring up those numbers in the Finals, or at the very least, not drop a zero again in either category.     Outlooks  

B-MEG (no. 3 seed)	AVERAGES	Talk ‘N Text (no. 1 seed)
90.18	Points	100.43
31.91% (4.82/15.12)	Three point percentage	33.07% (8.86/26.79)
44.16% (34.24/77.53)	Field goal percentage	42.01% (36.07/85.86)
48.59	Rebounds	52.14
18.18	Assists	20.07
14.53	Turnovers	12.43
9.00	Fast break points	13.00
64.94 - 26.53	Starters-bench scoring	56.36 - 44.07
87.50	Possessions	94.10
87.06	Points allowed	92.36
36.07% (7.76/21.53)	Three-point percentage allowed	27.27% (5.36/19.64)
14.71	Free throw attempts allowed	15.86
46.06	Rebounds allowed	50.79

  As cliched as it sounds, this seven-game series could ultimately be decided by which team gets to impose its style of play more on the other.   The Llamados will want to slow the ball down and grind out a win with their methodical Triangle (87.5 possessions/game - lowest in the PBA) while Talk ‘N Text is right up there when it comes to pace, third to be specific, at 94.1 per game.   One also should not be surprised if the Texters catch fire from outside once more. B-MEG has the poorest three-point defense percentage-wise, while on the flipside, it will be rare if B-MEG can do the same versus TNT, not when the latter has the best three-point defense in the league.   But what B-MEG does have up its sleeve is their reputation as the best field goal shooting team, as their system helps them to shoot a whopping 44.16 percent on average. Their rebounding is also top-notch, conceding the fewest defensive boards and total boards allowed, and they don’t foul very often, giving up the fewest looks at the stripe.   Again going back to their February 29 encounter, when the Llamados got next to nothing in terms of fast break and turnover points, that’s actually how the Texters play defense, giving up the least amount in those two categories (8.07 and 10.57, respectively). Their defense also forces opponents to rely more on one-on-one plays (allows the fewest assists, 17.36 per game), which could come in handy versus that Triangle.     X-Factors   Super Bowles of B-MEG

Season ave.	MIN	PTS	FG%	REB	AST	BLK
Denzel Bowles	37.41	25.12	50.16%	11.88	3.18	1.59

  The shoe-in for the Best Import plume, Denzel Bowles, is the interior presence the many guards of B-MEG revolve around, taking advantage of the double-teams he draws and the space he creates. Bowles accounts for 28 percent of his squad’s points and 24 of their rebounds, and when he’s been slowed down, the rest of the team struggles mightily.   While the Texters have multiple big men they can throw at Bowles in an effort to stop him, his above-average mark of 3.18 assists means he can turn around and find someone spotting up for an open look.   Simply put, if Bowles brings his A-game, everything becomes much easier for the Llamados.   Climb every Peek 

Last 2 games	MIN	PTS	FG%	REB	BLK
Ali Peek	17.5	7.5	62.5%	5.0	1.5

  Speaking of multiple big men on the TNT roster, they got a critical one back from a finger injury in the midst of the Barako Bull Energy semifinal series, and that guy, Ali Peek, gave them the physical presence to bring them back to the Finals.   While he won’t be able to spend long stretches on the court, as an off-the-bench force, Peek will be able to excel, especially against B-MEG’s back-up locals. That means TNT will be able to keep the points coming, making it the high-scoring affair they’re known for winning. - KBK, GMA News