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PBA: Talk 'N Text rain triples, go up 3-0 over Rain or Shine in Finals
Alapag was clutch in the endgame, burying back-to-back triples to put Talk 'N Text ahead in the fourth for good. KC Cruz
(Updated 9:05pm) In a game of runs, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters took the lead for an extended period in the third quarter and pushed it to nine points with a minute and a half into the fourth. Once again though, it still was not enough to overcome the veteran guile of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters.
Veteran playmaking, including big shots by point guard Jimmy Alapag, guided TNT to a 28-10 finish, putting them just a game away from a third straight Philippine Cup championship, as the Tropang Texters pulled away anew for an 89-80 win, Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
[Review the play-by-play of this game here]
“We went into this game thinking Rain or Shine would have to throw everything at us today,” said Talk 'N Text head coach Norman Black. “We knew it’d be a tough and physical game, we wanted to hang around to give ourselves a chance today.”
Alapag marshaled his team with 15 points and four assists, including three triples and 11 points in the fourth quarter. “Eventually, Jimmy made crucial shots that separated us and that was the difference in the game,” said Black of his main point guard.
[Related: 'We'll go for the championship on Wednesday' - TNT coach Black]
For the first time in this series, Rain or Shine led in the first quarter, thanks to strong offensive rebounding. Jireh Ibanes and Chris Tiu tallied seven markers in their first starting nods in the Finals, to make it 14-11, 4:55 left in the initial period.
TNT responded by stepping up their defense and allowing only two field goals in the last four minutes. Harvey Carey and Ali Peek then took turns overpowering defenders in the lane to anchor an 11-4 blast. RoS big man Jervy Cruz connected on two free throws with a minute to play though, to cut their deficit to two, 22-20.
In the second quarter, TNT created some breathing room after quick buckets from Jayson Castro and a triple by Ranidel De Ocampo. Ryan Araña was also assessed a flagrant foul after tangling with Kelly Williams beneath the basket. Williams converted two charities to make it a 31-26 game.
The Elasto Painters played good defense to rally back, scoring six unanswered points off transition buckets from turnovers to get ahead by one, 32-31 with six minutes to play.
The momentum changed, however, when Larry Rodriguez was slapped with a technical foul for a second motion against Williams. Williams drained another two charities and sparked a 9-4 run for the Tropang Texters, capped by a Ryan Reyes and-one, 40-36.
Beau Belga replied and registered an and-one of his own with 42 seconds remaining to draw his team within one, but Castro outdid him by hitting a pull-up jumper at the halftime buzzer to keep the lead with TNT, 42-39.
After the break, the Tropang Texters struggled to convert from the field. Jimmy Alapag and Williams kept their team afloat from the free throw line, thanks to aggressive play, while De Ocampo nailed his second triple, TNT’s lone field goal in the first six minutes of the quarter, for a 49-46 lead.
Meanwhile, the Elasto Painters rallied behind Paul Lee’s playmaking and eight points from rookie Chris Tiu. Tiu and Ibañes sank a trey apiece in a 15-7 run to take a 54-49 lead with over five minutes to play.
Talk 'N Text refused to go away, as Jared Dillinger, Carey and Castro found shots at rim and threatened to retake the lead, but Araña kept TNT away at arm’s length, and answered them nearly bucket for bucket. The swingman scored nine of Rain or Shine’s last 11 points, to lead after three quarters, 65-61.
Talk 'N Text converted only five field goals in the third period.
In the final period, Rain or Shine briefly pushed their advantage up to nine, their highest of the series, thanks to five quick points from Gabe Norwood and Belga. TNT then countered by slashing to the basket, as Ryan Reyes accounted for five points in a 12-4 run to cut the deficit to one, 74-73.
With six minutes to play, a Tiu lay-up gave the Elasto Painters some breathing room, but De Ocampo replied on the next possession with his third three-ball to draw the score even at 76-each.
After both teams went on a two-minute drought, Alapag rifled in back-to-back treys, capping a 9-0 run to give the Talk ’N Texters their first lead since 9:21 in the third period.
Cruz scored an and-one in transition with two minutes remaining to cut the lead to three, 82-79, but the Elasto Painters were rebuffed as Reyes added two charities.
Any hopes for a comeback were quashed as Castro buried a three-ball at 1:46 to definitively put the game out of the Elasto Painters’ reach, 87-79. Rain or Shine couldn’t recapture their groove on offense as they racked up turnovers and misses, including a crucial steal by Alapag, in the last two minutes. TNT dribbled out most of the clock down the stretch, allowing only a single free throw by Norwood with 25 seconds left.
For good measure, Alapag added another bucket before the buzzer to finalize the score.
[Related: Black's new system has TNT on the brink of a championship - Chot Reyes]
In their defense, Rain or Shine gave a better fight in a game that involved 24 deadlocks and lead changes. In contrast, there were 11 deadlocks and lead changes in the two previous games combined and the Elasto Painters never led by more than three points in either game.
Chris Tiu posted a team-high 14 points for Rain or Shine, including eight in the Elasto Painters’ best stretch in the third period.
In game two, the Elasto Painters led by a point in the fourth quarter after a clutch bucket by Lee, but TNT limited Rain or Shine to only two more field goals and closed out the last five minutes with a 14-5 run, for an 89-81 victory.
[Related: Poised Texters take game two versus Elasto Painters]
Game four will be played at 6:45 PM on January 15, Wednesday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. - RAF, GMA News
Veteran playmaking, including big shots by point guard Jimmy Alapag, guided TNT to a 28-10 finish, putting them just a game away from a third straight Philippine Cup championship, as the Tropang Texters pulled away anew for an 89-80 win, Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
[Review the play-by-play of this game here]
“We went into this game thinking Rain or Shine would have to throw everything at us today,” said Talk 'N Text head coach Norman Black. “We knew it’d be a tough and physical game, we wanted to hang around to give ourselves a chance today.”
Alapag marshaled his team with 15 points and four assists, including three triples and 11 points in the fourth quarter. “Eventually, Jimmy made crucial shots that separated us and that was the difference in the game,” said Black of his main point guard.
[Related: 'We'll go for the championship on Wednesday' - TNT coach Black]
For the first time in this series, Rain or Shine led in the first quarter, thanks to strong offensive rebounding. Jireh Ibanes and Chris Tiu tallied seven markers in their first starting nods in the Finals, to make it 14-11, 4:55 left in the initial period.
TNT responded by stepping up their defense and allowing only two field goals in the last four minutes. Harvey Carey and Ali Peek then took turns overpowering defenders in the lane to anchor an 11-4 blast. RoS big man Jervy Cruz connected on two free throws with a minute to play though, to cut their deficit to two, 22-20.
In the second quarter, TNT created some breathing room after quick buckets from Jayson Castro and a triple by Ranidel De Ocampo. Ryan Araña was also assessed a flagrant foul after tangling with Kelly Williams beneath the basket. Williams converted two charities to make it a 31-26 game.
The Elasto Painters played good defense to rally back, scoring six unanswered points off transition buckets from turnovers to get ahead by one, 32-31 with six minutes to play.
The momentum changed, however, when Larry Rodriguez was slapped with a technical foul for a second motion against Williams. Williams drained another two charities and sparked a 9-4 run for the Tropang Texters, capped by a Ryan Reyes and-one, 40-36.
Beau Belga replied and registered an and-one of his own with 42 seconds remaining to draw his team within one, but Castro outdid him by hitting a pull-up jumper at the halftime buzzer to keep the lead with TNT, 42-39.
After the break, the Tropang Texters struggled to convert from the field. Jimmy Alapag and Williams kept their team afloat from the free throw line, thanks to aggressive play, while De Ocampo nailed his second triple, TNT’s lone field goal in the first six minutes of the quarter, for a 49-46 lead.
Meanwhile, the Elasto Painters rallied behind Paul Lee’s playmaking and eight points from rookie Chris Tiu. Tiu and Ibañes sank a trey apiece in a 15-7 run to take a 54-49 lead with over five minutes to play.
Talk 'N Text refused to go away, as Jared Dillinger, Carey and Castro found shots at rim and threatened to retake the lead, but Araña kept TNT away at arm’s length, and answered them nearly bucket for bucket. The swingman scored nine of Rain or Shine’s last 11 points, to lead after three quarters, 65-61.
Talk 'N Text converted only five field goals in the third period.
Jayson Castro (R) scored a game-high 19 points to lift TNT to their third straight win. KC Cruz
In the final period, Rain or Shine briefly pushed their advantage up to nine, their highest of the series, thanks to five quick points from Gabe Norwood and Belga. TNT then countered by slashing to the basket, as Ryan Reyes accounted for five points in a 12-4 run to cut the deficit to one, 74-73.
With six minutes to play, a Tiu lay-up gave the Elasto Painters some breathing room, but De Ocampo replied on the next possession with his third three-ball to draw the score even at 76-each.
After both teams went on a two-minute drought, Alapag rifled in back-to-back treys, capping a 9-0 run to give the Talk ’N Texters their first lead since 9:21 in the third period.
Cruz scored an and-one in transition with two minutes remaining to cut the lead to three, 82-79, but the Elasto Painters were rebuffed as Reyes added two charities.
Any hopes for a comeback were quashed as Castro buried a three-ball at 1:46 to definitively put the game out of the Elasto Painters’ reach, 87-79. Rain or Shine couldn’t recapture their groove on offense as they racked up turnovers and misses, including a crucial steal by Alapag, in the last two minutes. TNT dribbled out most of the clock down the stretch, allowing only a single free throw by Norwood with 25 seconds left.
For good measure, Alapag added another bucket before the buzzer to finalize the score.
[Related: Black's new system has TNT on the brink of a championship - Chot Reyes]
In their defense, Rain or Shine gave a better fight in a game that involved 24 deadlocks and lead changes. In contrast, there were 11 deadlocks and lead changes in the two previous games combined and the Elasto Painters never led by more than three points in either game.
Chris Tiu posted a team-high 14 points for Rain or Shine, including eight in the Elasto Painters’ best stretch in the third period.
In game two, the Elasto Painters led by a point in the fourth quarter after a clutch bucket by Lee, but TNT limited Rain or Shine to only two more field goals and closed out the last five minutes with a 14-5 run, for an 89-81 victory.
[Related: Poised Texters take game two versus Elasto Painters]
Game four will be played at 6:45 PM on January 15, Wednesday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. - RAF, GMA News
The scores:
TALK N' TEXT 89 - Castro 19, Alapag 15, De Ocampo 13, Reyes 11, Williams 11, Carey 6, Dillinger 5, Fonacier 5, Peek 4, Aban 0.
RAIN OR SHINE 80 - Tiu 14, Cruz 11, Rodriguez 10, Arana 10, Ibanes 8, Lee 7, Belga 6, Norwood 5, Quinahan 4, Chan 3, Tang 2.
Quarters: 22-20, 42-39, 61-65, 89-80
