Texters cap comeback to win back to back

MANILA, Philippines - Talk n Text ended Powerade’s Cinderalla ride and completed its own incredible comeback tale as the Tropang Texters repulsed the Tigers, 110-101, for the PBA Philippine Cup championship at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Their six-game romp stopped Friday, the Tropang Texters returned with a gritty resolve, opening a commanding double-digit spread right in the first quarter and hardly relaxing to eventually finish off the Tigers.

The Texters disposed of the Tigers in five games in their best-of-seven titular series, preserving their great comeback from 1-3 down versus the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Final Four.

Coach Chot Reyes and his gang successfully defended the Philippine Cup crown they won over San Miguel Beer, a sweet feat easing the pain of their foiled grand slam dream last season.

The Smart-PLDT franchise became the first team in 27 years to rule the all-Filipino tourney in back-to-back fashion. The Texters reigned supreme in the prestigious conference for the fourth time in the last nine years and third in the last four seasons.

“It felt so bad losing the grand slam. We came to within two quarters of that feat, not knowing this is the one we’ll get,” said Reyes.

“It took 27 years for a team to successfully defend the all-Filipino championship. It’s longer than the grand slam and it’s definitely sweeter,” Reyes added.

The veteran Talk n Text mentor nailed his eighth overall championship, tying Jong Uichico at fourth in the all-time ladder behind Baby Dalupan (with 15 titles), Tim Cone (13) and Norman Black (10).

As in their first three wins, the Texters overwhelmed the Tigers with a massive effort with Ryan Reyes coming through with a near triple-double job and five others piling up double-digit outputs.

Larry Fonacier scored only nine points but he put in all these in a decisive run helping the Texters pull away to stay in the second quarter.

The former Ateneo Eagle averaged 16.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the series and was named the Bayad Center Finals MVP.

“He’s (Fonacier) the perfect choice. We played 21 players all in all in the tournament, but he’s the only one who played each game since last year,” said Reyes.

Reyes sizzled with a league all-time high 10 steals plus 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Ranidel de Ocampo, Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Ali Peek, Kelly Williams and Fonacier had their own shining moments, easily negating Gary David’s 37-point explosion.

What can’t be taken away from Powerade was the never-say-die stand the Tigers put up despite all their handicaps.

The Cinderella team, making all the way to the finals after barely landing the playoffs, refused to give up the fight though falling behind by 24 points in the third quarter.

But calm, composed and simply the better team, the Texters hung in there, pulling through to the delight of their huge yellow-clad cheering crowd at the Big Dome.

Talk n Text led by as many as 23 in the first half ending with a scuffle involving Alapag and Romel Adducul. Finding their arms locked in a fight for the loose ball at the buzzer, the TnT guard took down Adducul, sending the Powerade center down to the ad boards on the sideline.

Adducul went after Alapag as he got into his feet, and the proverbial cooler heads had to intervene. Both players were assessed a technical foul.

The Texters unloaded a 14-1 salvo in a three-minute stretch bridging the first two quarters to open the big 23-point margin at 40-17.

David poured in 14 points with Jvee Casio adding two triples as the Tigers narrowed down the gap to 12 twice before the first half ended.

The scores:

Talk n Text 110 – Reyes 20, De Ocampo 18, Alapag 17, Castro 14, Peek 13, Williams 10, Fonacier 9, Dillinger 7, Gamalinda 2, Carey 0.

Powerade 101 – David 37, Anthony 22, Casio 19, Lassiter 12, Adducul 4, Kramer 3, Crisano 3, Vanlandingham 1, Lingganay 0, Allera 0, Cruz 0.

Quarterscores: 30-16, 60-46, 85-64, 110-101