Talk N Text, San Miguel join Sta. Lucia on top

San Miguel Beer whipped Ginebra, 97-82, while Talk N Text survived Purefoods, 99-91, last night for their second straight victories and a share of the early lead with Sta. Lucia Realty in the season-ending PBA Governors Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.

The Beermen, the reigning All-Filipino Cup champions, relied on the superb all-around performance by import Lamont Strothers to make short work of the Gins, who never got back into the game after trailing 36-21 at the end of the first quarter.

Strothers turned what was expected to be an exciting matchup with Ginebra counterpart Mark Jones into a one-sided affair as he cut loose for a night-high 42 points on top of 12 rebounds and five assists. He went 9-of-20 from the three-point area.

Jones, who had 37 points in the Gins in a victory over Tanduay last week, was held to 27 points. He had 10 points in the first quarter, was held to seven in the next two periods and scored 10 more in the final period when the issue was already settled.

Talk N Text import Jason Williams scored a 28 points for the night and hit five in the fourth. Asi Taulava backed him up as the 6-foot-10 Fil-Tongan had 27 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, issued three assists and blocked two shots.

"This win is a tribute to our locals, who really stepped up tonight," said Talk N Text coach Louie Alas. The Phone Pals’ first victory came last week when they came from behind to beat Shell. Williams hit 39 points in that game.

Williams’ first basket in the fourth period came at the halfway mark when his pants were almost pulled down by Rey Evangelista while he was going for a slam. He split his charities but promptly made up for it by scoring on a breakaway jam going into the final two minutes for a 93-86 Talk N Text lead.

And after Purefoods committed a turnover on the other end, the flashy National Basketball Association veteran hit an off-balanced layup, and the Phone Pals put the game away.

Purefoods played with a depleted lineup for the third straight game and took its second loss in three games. Ginebra slipped to 1-1.

The Hotdogs were without Andy Seigle and Edward Joseph Feihl, who were both out because of foot injuries. Feihl came into the coliseum with a heavily bandaged right foot, while Seigle could be out for the rest of the tournament because of a recurring right heel problem.

Team personnel of Purefoods told PJ that Seigle is scheduled to leave for the US on Tuesday for further tests on his heel.