PBA: Talk ‘N Text, Powerade figure in All-Filipino Cup rematch

Now with imports among their ranks, the Powerade Tigers are out to show up the team that handled them easily in the last conference’s Finals, while the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters are gunning to show that the script has not changed despite the new players, Wednesday, at the Araneta Coliseum, in the Commissioner’s Cup of the PBA.    

Talk ‘N Text	Averages	Powerade
101.00	Points	100.20
41.00%	Field goal percentage	41.93
22.40	Free throws attempted	29.60
19.00	Offensive rebounds	15.80
13.20	Second-chance points	9.40
13.00	Turnovers	17.60
56.40	Starter points	87.40
44.60	Bench points	12.80

As of March 13, 2012   From between the end of the All-Filipino Cup to near the end of the Commissioner’s Cup, the stark difference between the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters and the Powerade Tigers is still the same: TNT will look to overwhelm you with their depth, while Powerade hopes to bludgeon you with their powerful first five.   Either way you slice it though, these two teams are number one and two (with the Texters being first) in terms of points scored. The Texters achieve this through second-chance points while the Tigers get to the line. Normally, all those fouls committed on Powerade players even the field, as penalty-plagued opponents are forced to hit the bench, but Talk ‘N Text’s superior numbers negate this. That means the Tigers will need to try something new, perhaps, cutting down on their league-worst turnover clip to avoid handing their foes easy points.   Import Match-Up

Averages	Donnell Harvey (TNT)	Dwayne Jones (Powerade)
Minutes	41.0	40.60
Points	23.50	20.60
Offensive rebounds	12.50	6.80
Defensive rebounds	12.50	10.80
Field goal percentage	52.78%	51.56%
Free throws attempted	8.0	13.40
Turnovers	5.50	1.80

  With all their scorers, the Tropang Texters don’t actually need someone whose sole purpose is to put the ball in the basket. That’s why Harvey, though it’s just based on two games, has been a solid fit, hauling down 50 rebounds total in the games he’s played.   On the flipside, things are similar for the Tigers, as Dwayne Jones’ rebounding is a solid complement for guys like Gary David and Marcio Lassiter. What he brings to the table is an ability to get to the line. He’s third in the league in charity attempts, behind Rain or Shine and Barako Bull’s imports, but as mentioned above, this may not actually come into play against all the local big men TNT can also throw at him.   Perhaps the stat to look out for is turnovers. Jones rarely loses the ball, averaging just 1.8 miscues, while Harvey somehow lost the sphere a whopping 10 times in his team’s overtime win versus Barako Bull. In his one other game, he had just one turnover though, so it’s possible that the more he gets acquainted with his teammates, the better off he’ll be.   The kings of extra time

Talk ‘N Text	AVERAGES
Points scored in overtime	10.5
Points allowed in overtime	4.0
Overtime games record	2-0

  So far in the Commissioner’s Cup, we’ve only seen two overtime games, both involving the Tropang Texters, and both times, TNT has dominated. No doubt owing to their veteran know-how, Chot Reyes’ charges seem to know exactly what to do in extra time, and should the game go that way in this match, they’ll have the upper hand versus Powerade   Tired Tigers?

	Average minutes
Marcio Lassiter	41.0 (1st among locals)
Gary David	39.4 (2nd among locals)
JV Casio	35.2 (8th among locals)

  You don’t get to be the team that averages the most points by their starting unit without giving extended minutes to some of your guys, and that’s exactly what Powerade head coach Bo Perasol has done. The Tigers are the only squad with three starters in the top ten minutes played list by locals, and while they’ve been carrying the load fine so far, indeed, riding those three is how they got to the Finals last conference, it’s definitely within the realm of possibility that fatigue will eventually settle in and hurt their game.   X-Factors   Reyes to the rescue

AVERAGES	All-Filipino Cup	First two Commissioner’s Cup games	Last game
Minutes	26.0	19.5	32.0
Points	11.0	1.0	9.0
Rebounds	3.79	1.5	8.0
Assists	2.32	0.5	2.0
Steals	1.79	1.0	2.0

  After sitting out the first two games of the Commissioner’s Cup due to an injury dating back to the Finals last conference, guard Ryan Reyes has been slowly working his way back into the rotation, until he made a huge splash last Friday, converting two huge triples in the extra five minutes to put his team ahead for good. Should Jayson Castro’s ankle continue to bother him, Reyes will likely get the lion’s share of the available minutes.   Casio looks to keep on ticking

Averages	First four games	Last game
Points	15.75	8.0
Field goal attempts	10.5	5.0
Turnovers	2.75	6.0
Fouls	1.5	3.0

  Overall number one draft pick Jvee Casio had his worst game of the second conference, scoring under double-digits for the first time in five games, while also failing to attempt double-digit shots for the first time too. But unlike the second pick in his draft, Paul Lee, who has seen his numbers go down with Rain or Shine, this has been Casio’s only hiccup, and it’s likely he’ll look to bounce back strong, especially against the team that dispatched them in the Finals. - OMD, GMA News