TNT winning ways not over

MANILA, Philippines - Talk ‘N’ Text coach Norman Black said the other day the Tropa is back in fighting form and determined to prove the Texters remain a championship contender in the PBA despite failing to qualify for the playoffs in the last Governors Cup and the semifinals of the just-concluded Philippine Cup.

“We’re not a fading franchise,” said Black after the Tropa beat San Miguel Beer, 107-99, to stay unbeaten in the Commissioner’s Cup with a 3-0 record at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Friday night. “We’re not finished. The dynasty isn’t over. Last conference, we had health issues and couldn’t get it going. Now, we’re relatively healthy. We’ve got Richard (Howell) and Ranidel (de Ocampo) covering the center spot with Ali (Peek) retired.”

The Texters made a lineup tweak before the second conference playoffs, trading Eloy Poligrates and Sean Anthony to Air21 for Nino Canaleta. Black said Canaleta still has a lot to show. “KG’s learning our system,” he said. “We haven’t seen the best of him yet. We’re studying ways to take advantage of his matchups.” Canaleta has started in two of the Texters’ games in the Commissioner’s Cup so far, averaging 5.7 points.

Black said the big difference is Howell. Against San Miguel, Howell erupted for 14 of his 38 points in the fourth period and wound up with 20 rebounds in 41 minutes. He also compiled four assists, five steals and one blocked shot. Howell, 23, is a tower of power for the Texters, an inside operator with nifty moves around the basket.

 While the Beermen had difficulty in generating chemistry with the return of JuneMar Fajardo, Kevin Jones’ arrival and where reigning MVP Arwind Santos fits in the mix, the Texters played fluidly from start to finish. Defense was the key as the Tropa disrupted San Miguel’s rhythm and forced the Beermen into 19 turnovers from which the Texters scored 31 points. Talk ‘N’ Text also cracked San Miguel’s running attack and outscored the Beermen in fastbreak points, 15-10. Before the contest, San Miguel led the league in fastbreak points with an average of 26.

Black said Jimmy Alapag came through with huge baskets down the stretch to seal the outcome. Alapag once more saved the day for Talk ‘N’ Text like the character Mighty Mouse – appropriately, his moniker – does in cartoons by firing 18 points and dishing out seven dimes. Alapag hit a triple in every quarter in a mark of consistency.

Black said he’s not worried about Larry Fonacier’s shooting woes. In the first two games of the conference, Fonacier went 0-of-5 from the field. Against San Miguel, he shot 2-of-7. “Larry’s got a lot on his mind,” Black said. “He just needs to relax. You have to remember that Larry’s been playing all year round from the PBA to FIBA-Asia back to the PBA then there will be a stretch where he won’t see his family for over two months to play for Gilas in the FIBA World Cup. I know coach Chot (Reyes) is counting on him. Once he’s settled down, his shooting will come back, that’s for sure. He’ll get back his confidence.”

A player whom Black singled out for his quality minutes is Harvey Carey. “It’s always a plus for us when he’s on the court,” he said. “We want to give Harvey his minutes. He does a lot of good things for us out there, he’s our glue guy.” Then there’s Danny Seigle who still hasn’t played a game this conference. Seigle strained his left quadriceps before the conference started and will sit out his fourth game against Barako Bull today. Black said Seigle is expected to be back in the rotation when Talk ‘N’ Text battles Meralco at the Cuneta Astrodome on Friday.

Black said the win over San Miguel was a big confidence booster because the Beermen aren’t easy to beat. But he couldn’t savor the win on the court as he was ejected for the first time in his PBA career with a few seconds left in the third period on his second technical foul. He thanked the coaching staff led by chief assistant Sandy Arrepacochaga and the players for stepping up to nail the victory. Since entering the league as an import in 1981 and continuing his career in the PBA coach, Black had never been ejected until Friday night.