Title series turning into coaches’ duel of wits, gambits

MANILA, Philippines - The Talk n Text-San Mig Coffee titular showdown has become not only a tough, brutal face-off on the hard court but a grinding “mind games” off it.

The first two games were marked by shifts in momentum. San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone came out with a better game plan in Game One which Talk n Text mentor Norman Black somehow negated with perfect adjustments in Game Two.

San Mig Coffee stopped Talk n Text’s 13-game romp with an emphatic 95-80 victory Friday but the Texters fought back with a 86-76 triumph Sunday.

The series has become a virtual chess match between the two multi-titled bench tacticians, putting Black and Cone on the spotlight as the Texters and the Mixers fight for the decisive 2-1 lead in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five finale at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Game Three is set at 8 p.m., ushered in by short brief rites awarding the winners of the Best Player of the Conference and the Best Import plums. Talk n Text’s Jayson Castro and Richard Howell are tipped to win these honors.

“The two teams are almost evenly matched. There is no advantage in talent. Both are extremely talented. In this series, we have to do a good job to keep the player fresh and study the game plan,” said Black.

After falling behind by 18 early in the third quarter in Game Two, Cone rested top guns James Yap and PJ Simon, practically surrendering the battle while looking at winning the crucial game Three.

“I’m trying to think about five games. I’m trying to keep these guys fresh and ready to play five games,” said Cone.

“In a series, you have to have big-picture thinking,” Cone said. “We’re trying to think to win the championship. It’s about winning three games for us and whatever way we can do it, we’ll do it.”

Cone made the same approach in Game Four of their semifinal series with Air21, resting Yap, Simon and import James Mays. In the deciding Game Five, the Mixers came out energetic and bludgeoned the Express, 99-83.

Though winning Game Two, Black said he and his staff would be back on the drawing board as they expect Cone’s own adjustments for Game Three.

Black said they particularly did a good job shattering San Mig’s switching defense in Game Two where Jayson Castro erupted for a conference-high 30 points.

“He’s the one they target defensively. That’s why they’re putting Pingris on Jayson. I hope that when we watch the videos, we’ll get a much better game plan for him on Game Three,” said Black.

Overall, Black said the idea is “to bring an even higher energy level, and limit our turnovers to come out with the win.”

Obviously, Cone had that thing in mind in keeping Yap and Simon on the bench most of the final half Sunday.

“I just felt that James and PJ were a little bit off alertness-wise and that’s usually (because of) fatigue,” Cone also said.