Express disconnect Phone Pals

Reserve slashers Ronald Tubid and Gary David provided Air21 with so much energy and firepower coming off the bench in the fourth quarter, and the Express whipped the Talk n Text Phone Pals, 117-110, in overtime to gain a first-ever PBA Final Four stint at the Ynares Center in Antipolo last night.

Tubid and David scored 19 points apiece, combining for 20 points in the payoff period and nine in extension play to lead the Express to the victory that sent them to a best-of-seven semifinals showdown with classification round topnotcher, the Purefoods Chunkee Giants.

Less than 24 hours after wrapping up their quarterfinals duel with the Phone Pals, the Express return to action versus the Giants in Game One of their semis tiff at 4:10 p.m. today at the Araneta Coliseum.

Barangay Ginebra and Red Bull clash in the opener of their own Final Four match-up at 6:30 p.m.

Talk n Text missed a semis stint for the first time under coach Joel Banal, settling for fifth place in this import-reinforced conference.

Tubid and David proved to be big thorns for Talk n Text as these two rah-rah-rah guard-forward players energized Air21 at crunch time, keeping the Express in a giant-killing spree in the tourney.

Before bundling out Talk n Text, Air21 booted out reigning champion San Miguel Beer in their wildcard playoff.

"The credit goes to the players. They just won’t give up and won’t quit," said coach Bo Perasol, who stayed in the hunt for a championship in his rookie year in the league.

Curiously, Perasol will be up against former UP varsity teammate Ryan Gregorio in the semis.

"We love our match-up and chance against them since we swept them (in two games in the classification round)," said David.

Limited to his lowest output — seven – in the tourney in Game Four, Shawn Daniels came back to score his 21st double-double performance with 25 points and 17 rebounds while Renren Ritualo had another explosive showing with 23 points.

And the Express became a lot more potent crew with Tubid and David joining the fray in the fourth quarter, sparkling in a vicious run that shoved the team ahead at 102-91 entering the last three minutes of play.

It took the Pals a spirited chase capped by a booming triple by Jimmy Alapag in the last two seconds to send the game into overtime at 106-all.

However, the Express pressed their bid in the extra play, stepping up their full-court defense and attacking the hoop without hesitation.

Daniels, a poor free throw shooter, surprisingly canned two charities off a foul by Willie Miller then Tubid tipped in his own miss as Air21 surged ahead for good at 114-100.

"We collapsed in the end," rued Talk n Text coach Joel Banal.

While the Phone Pals immediately headed to their dugout with their heads bowed after the game, the Express stayed on the court for sometime celebrating with their supporters their first-ever semis passage in the tourney. They made the semis and finished third in a mere invitational tourney in 2003.