Hot shooting tows Talk 'N Text to 116-100 win over Powerade

(Updated 9:55 p.m.) Powerade paid dearly when it engaged Talk 'N Text in a virtual shootout in Game One of their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven Finals series Friday night. The defending champions, capitalizing on Powerade top rookie guard Jvee Casio's absence, torched the Tigers early in the game en route to a 116-100 thrashing at the jampacked Sports Tourism and Business Center of Davao del Sur Gym in Digos City. The Tropang Texters went to their deadly backcourt of Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes in burying the Tigers behind an avalanche of long-range bombs. The Tigers, playing in their first championship game in nine years, played catch-up the rest of the way as the Tropang Texters never wavered even at the height of several Powerade rallies. "We expected this kind of game, because the best running and scoring team in the league right now is Powerade,” said Talk 'N Text coach Chot Reyes. "It just so happen (Casio) is out right now. We're not making a statement out of this win, all it gave us is a 1-0 lead." Game Two of the title series returns to the Araneta Coliseum on Monday. Castro led the Tropang Texters, on track of becoming the first team in 27 years to defend the All-Filipino title, with 23 points. Reyes and Jared Dillinger tallied 15 each while Alapag, Ali Peek, Larry Fonacier and Ranidel de Ocampo combined for 50 points. "We take it one game at a time because we know this is a long series," said Castro. "We just have to continue focusing our defense on Gary (David)." After scoring six straight 30-plus points in the post-season and 24 in Powerade's 107-98 Game Seven win in their semis series against Rain or Shine, David was finally held down to his lowest output of 19 obviously bothered by different defensive players thrown at him by the Tropang Texters. With David’s offense stifled and Casio down with an injured knee, Sean Anthony took the scoring cudgels for Powerade with a game-high 23 points, including 14 in the first half. "We just had a good job of containing Gary David tonight, but Sean Anthony had a spectacular game for Powerade," said Reyes. "So, we had to be ready in Game Two, be ready with Jvee (Casio) coming back for them." The Tigers fell by as many as 19 but managed to trim the deficit to seven, 74-67, after David's breakaway lay up off an Anthony outlet pass. But the Tropang Texters answered back behind De Ocampo's eight-point swing highlighted by two back-breaking three-pointers to hike the lead back to 82-67, forcing Powerade coach Bo Perasol to call a timeout. Behind the outside guns of Fonacier, Alapag, Reyes and Castro, the Tropang Texters sat on a comfortable 68-50 lead at the break. Fonacier already had 13 points at this point on a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. He had 10 points in the second quarter alone and shot 4-of-5 from the field as he sustained the Tropang Texters' brilliant outside shooting initiated by Alapag and Reyes. Alapag scored seven points as the defending champions opened with a sizzling 14-5 run. Reyes then took over just before the first period was over, hitting nine of his 11 points from beyond the arc in steering Talk 'N Text to a 38-21 lead after 12 minutes of play. The lead was at its biggest in the opening quarter at 33-13 on Reyes' three-pointer inside the two minute mark. — JVP, GMA News Scores: