PBA 2011: Tropang Texters not crying over spilled milk

It was definitely a huge wasted opportunity but Talk 'N Text is one team that won't cry over spilled milk. Not even its failure to complete a rare Grand Slam could take away what the team had accomplished in a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season that is truly to be remembered. Two championships, three Finals stint, a Most Valuable Player (MVP) plum for heady point guard Jimmy Alapag and a Coach of the Year award for Chot Reyes. Indeed, the Tropang Texters overachieved in the league's 36th season, despite being foiled by Petron in its bid to become only the fourth franchise to win the PBA's Triple Crown. "It was special that just didn’t end the way we wanted to. But that shouldn't take away from how well we played the whole year," Reyes said in recalling the past season of Asia's pioneering pro league. "We played above our talent, that's why we dominated so much." True enough, the Tropang Texters came a win short of becoming the first team in the last 15 years to win a Grand Slam, losing to the underdog Boosters in an epic Game 7 finale for the season-ending Governors Cup championship. With Petron saddled by injuries to key players Jay Washington, Joseph Yeo, Lordy Tugade and Rookie of the Year Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Talk 'N Text loomed as the heavy favorite to clinch a third straight title and join the elite company of PBA greats Crispa, San Miguel and Alaska as the only teams to sweep all three championships in a season. But the Texters found out that the Boosters won't go down that easily. Behind the inspired plays of Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, Danny Ildefonso, Dennis Miranda, import Anthony Grundy, and the rest of the Petron squad, the Boosters completed the upset in Game 7 played in front of a roaring crowd of 17,000 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. And in a surprising twist, the Boosters dominated the do-or-die encounter, on the way to scoring an 85-72 win to pull off one of the greatest upsets in the PBA's 36-year history. The victory gave Santos, Cabagnot and Grundy their first league championship, while making Petron mentor Ato Agustin the first coach since Joel Banal in 2003 to win a title on his rookie season. The loss obviously, gave the Tropang Texters frustration and heartaches. "We're disappointed,” said team owner Manny V. Pangilinan. "But it's not the end of the world." Pangilinan consoled his team with the thought of how well the season turned out to be—with or without the Grand Slam. "I guess it was an excellent season for Talk 'N Text." "Still, it was the best performance the team had so far, at least in our relative short involvement in the PBA," he said. — JVP, GMA News