PBA Finals: Talk N Text Beat a Casio-less Powerade Tigers in Game 1

The Defending Champ's leading scorers in Game 1

       

       Talk N Text Tropang Texters showed what will happen if you will engage into a shootout contest. The Reigning champion simply outclassed underdog rival Powerade, 116-100, in Game One of their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven Finals series Friday night at the Sports, Cultural & Business Center of Davao del Sur.

         The Tropang Texters went to their deadly backcourt of Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes in burying the Tigers behind an avalanche of long-range bombs. The Tigers, playing in their first championship game in nine years, played catch-up the rest of the way as the Tropang Texters never wavered even at the height of several Powerade rallies.

        "We expected this kind of game, because the best running and scoring team in the league right now is Powerade,” said Talk 'N Text coach Chot Reyes. "It just so happen (Casio) is out right now. We're not making a statement out of this win, all it gave us is a 1-0 lead."

          Game Two of the title series returns to the Araneta Coliseum on Monday.

         Castro led the Tropang Texters, on track of becoming the first team in 27 years to defend the All-Filipino title, with 23 points. Reyes and Jared Dillinger tallied 15 each while Alapag, Ali Peek, Larry Fonacier and Ranidel de Ocampo combined for 50 points. The Tropang Texters, who shot 10 of their 13 triples in the first half alone, hardly showed weariness, overwhelming the Tigers with a torrid offense and an efficient defense on Powerade top gun Gary David. Talk ‘N Text, which recorded its highest output in the current playoffs, sustained a solid game throughout, underscoring its capability to retain the coveted all-Filipino crown.

         The Tropang Texters made good use of their deep, talent-laden roster as they stamped their class on the Tigers, setting the tone of the game early. After scoring six straight 30-plus points in the post-season and 24 in Powerade's 107-98 Game Seven win in their semis series against Rain or Shine, David was finally held down to his lowest output of 19 obviously bothered by different defensive players thrown at him by the Tropang Texters.

       With David’s offense stifled and Casio down with an injured knee, Sean Anthony took the scoring cudgels for Powerade with a game-high 23 points, including 14 in the first half. Powerade just couldn’t match Talk ‘N Text’s hot start with David held to two field-goal attempts in the opening quarter. Rudy Lingganay and Celino Cruz, who rotated at the point minus Casio, had tough times handling the pressure. Cruz, for one, committed three errors only in the opening period. Anthony and Marcio Lassiter teamed up to spark some amount of fightback, getting the Tigers to within seven at 67-74. De Ocampo, however, scored eight straight points to quickly fend off the threat. 

The scores: 

Talk 'N Text 116 - Castro 23, Reyes 15, Dillinger 15, Fonacier 14, De Ocampo 14, Peek 13, Alapag 9, Aguilar 6, Carey 4, Williams 3, Gamalinda 0, Raymundo 0. 

Powerade 100 - Anthony 23, David 19, Lassiter 19, Lingganay 13, Kramer 12, Cruz 4, Antonio 3, Vanlandingham 3, Adducul 2, Crisano 2, Allera 0.

Quarterscores: 38-21, 68-52, 96-81, 116-100.