Tropang Texters avert early exit, repel Mixers

MANILA, Philippines - Talk n Text came back strong from back-to-back setbacks and foiled San Mig Coffee’s sweep bid with a resounding 112-86 victory that forced a fourth game in their PLDT Home Telpad Governors Cup best-of-five semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Coach Norman Black stretched his rotation to 15 players and each one responded with a rock-solid performance leading to the rout that cut San Mig Coffee’s series lead to 2-1.

Fourteen Texters had played by the half and all put in their shares in a solid team effort, foiling the Mixers’ bid for a three-game sweep.

“I’d been sticking to a 10-man rotation, and it’s not working out so I figured out to give everybody a chance to play and see what happens,” said Talk n Text coach Norman Black.

“I’m happy each one responded and gave us the victory today. But it’s just one game, and we need two more,” Black added.

The Texters hope to sustain the momentum in Game Four tomorrow, also at the Big Dome, in an attempt to force a sudden death for a finals berth.

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine and Alaska Milk break their one-game-all standoff in their side of the semis tonight at the same venue.

Tackles, shoves and hard fouls everywhere marked Game Two of the RoS-Alaska series with action expected to be fierce as the Elasto Painters and the Aces fight for the go-ahead win in the series reduced to a best-of-three battle.

Teetering on the brink, the Texters waged a big fight with a choking defense and an impeccable offense that caught the Mixers by surprise.

Badly beaten by the third quarter, San Mig coach Tim Cone opted to give his core players a breather in the final canto, obviously reserving their energy in Game Four.

Ranidel de Ocampo tossed in four three-pointers and finished with 24 points, Paul Harris came up with a near triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists while Jayson Castro, Danny Seigle, Jimmy Alapag and Elmer Espiritu added at least 10 markers as the Texters dominated the Mixers in the last three quarters.

“We really played as a team offensively with the ball moving from hands to hands. Nobody’s holding it long to find a nice shot,” said Black.

Talk n Text pulled away in the second half, leading by 28, 92-64, on a three-pointer by KG Canaleta with 10:03 to go.

The Texters overwhelmed the Mixers with a 14-of-32 three-point shooting with De Ocampo, Castro, Harris, Alapag, Espiritu and Canaleta making at least two each.

Harris and Alapag knocked in three treys and the Texters converted 11 of 20 field goals as they pummeled the Mixers, 32-16, in the second period to pull away, 52-37, at the half.

 Ahead by just two at 30-28, the Texters went to Alapag, Harris and De Ocampo as they opened a first double-digit spread at 45-35.

Talk n Text stretched its lead to 15 at the turn on four straight charities by Castro and a three-point play by Seigle from a 45-37 count.