Cardona of Talk 'N' Text is PBA Player of the Week

Mark Cardona of Talk 'N' Text celebrated his birthday Monday as the PBA Press Corps' Player of the Week. Cardona's pulsating game against Barangay Ginebra Sunday night helped the Phone Pals end a four-game losing streak. In that 113-98 Phone Pals' win, the former La Salle star scored a career-high 30 points, 15 of which he scored in the first quarter, during which the Phone Pals posted a 31-18 lead. From thereon, the Pals never looked back and claimed the victory. Aside from 2-of-2 in the three-point area and a 12-of-15 field goal, Cardona added two rebounds, an assist, a steal, a blocked shot, and two errors in 28 minutes of playing. Because of this remarkable feat, Cardona was chosen by the PBA Press Corps as its Accel Player of the Week for the period covering Nov. 5 to 12. Before Sunday's win over the Gin Kings, the Phone Pals absorbed four straight defeats, the last against newcomer Welcoat Dragons, 79-72, in an out-of-town game in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, last Thursday. The victory improves the Talk 'N' Text card to 5-5. But the Pals are still in 6th place in the Talk 'N' Text-PBA Philippine Cup. After deciding not to play in his last year as a Green Archer in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Cardona entered the pro ranks last year and was drafted in the first round by Air 21 Express. Cardona was eventually traded together with this year's No. 1 pick Anthony Washington to Phone Pals. - GMANews.TV