Down by two points, with just seconds left, Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters import Paul Harris had the ball and his left foot landed on the baseline. The whistle blew. Lane violation.

Two seasons, five consecutive Finals appearances, three championships, dramatic moments, winning shots, euphoria, heartbreak, all finished. Stepping! A misplaced foot on the line was an unspectacular way to cap a sensational run.

While Barangay Ginebra Kings players gathered at midcourt to celebrate a 73-71 victory, Talk ‘N Text marched out of the bright lights, out of the season. Talk ‘N Text head coach Chot Reyes bit his lips, shook his head and felt the sting. Reyes watched his players drag their feet away from the stage they’ve grown to embrace. Goodbye to the big game. Goodbye to the title chase. For the time being, it was over.

I refuse to believe that the Ginebra-Talk ‘N Text knockout game last Wednesday night was Chot’s last game as a PBA Head Coach. He’s too good, too young, too mad, too confident, too driven to feel that he’s done. I believe he’ll be back. His detractors probably expect him to return as well.

In the meantime, he leaves the PBA to take on a challenge that will invite twice as many admirers and thrice as many critics. Farewell Talk ‘N Text. He goes full-time with the Smart Gilas National Team.

It’s also not over for Talk ‘N Text. Norman Black will take over as head coach. 10 PBA championships. One PBA Grand Slam. Four straight UAAP titles. Mukhang magaling ah. He’ll probably fit in easily. A winning coach reserved for a winning team. More accurately, a winning coach reserved for a winning culture. Black, as Talk ‘N Text consultant, has seen it up close. More than a culture of winning, they have a culture of striving. For rivals, that’s hard to admire because Talk ‘N Text keeps on winning at everyone else’s expense. It’s also a culture that’s hard to fake.

Genuinely, I’m stunned that Talk ‘N Text lost. Siyempre they can lose just like everyone else. But during the past two seasons, no one won crucial games as often as they did. Crispa legend Atoy Co, once he discovered I was a Toyota fan, told me, “Kung talagang magaling ako, dapat galit ka sa akin.” Fans from other PBA teams dislike Talk ‘N Text. Naturally. But everyone is free to admit; that team, even when facing dire obstacles, convinced us that they could win the championship every damn time.

Rain or Shine is in the Finals. BMEG and Ginebra will play for the last Finals berth on Friday. The season moves on. Talk ‘N Text players will too. They’re out, for now. They’re out, for once. A player’s misplaced left foot shouldn’t change reputations. They were always better than average. Teams needed to play beyond average to beat them. They were title contenders until the very end. You love them because they win. You hate them because they’re good. You know, even if you don’t want to, they’ll be back. - GMA News