Surging Rhum Masters trip Pals

Tanduay Rhum continued to flourish with a healthy lineup, stretching its first winning streak in the season to three games as it thumped Talk N Text, 99-82, last night to keep a solid shot at the PBA Governors Cup quarterfinals at the Araneta Coliseum.

Playing only their second game in the year with all players in harness, the Rhum Masters came out strong, snapping a losing run in their head--to head matchups versus the Phone Pals and in the process staying in the thick of the fight for the three remaining berths in the next round with a 5-7 win-loss card.

Tanduay drew level with Barangay Ginebra and Alaska at seventh place.

Talk N Text, meanwhile, bungled a third crack at an outright spot in the Magic Four, falling to third place in the standings. The Phone Pals even face the specter of missing a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarters with a 7-5 slate. They will take their fourth and last crack at the Top Four against the Pop Cola Panthers Sunday.

Coming off stirring back-to-back triumphs over the Shell Turbo Chargers and the San Miguel — their first under coach Derrick Pumaren, the Rhum Masters dished out an even better game as they easily avenged their 76-86 loss to the Phone Pals in their initial meeting in the tournament last Oct. 19.

They crashed the boards with authority, ran the break at every opportunity and worked on a resolute half-court game as they staged a breakaway in the second quarter and never looked back to make it two in a row with ace Fil-Am center Eric Menk in tow.

Pitted against Talk N Text’s Asi Taulava for the first time in nearly two years, Menk more than held his ground and inspired his teammates to step up in the contest.

"Eric (Menk) is not yet in perfect shape, not yet 100 percent in playing condition but his mere presence really pumps up his teammates," said coach Pumaren.

Menk followed up his 32-point game the last time out with a 27-point showing which he laced with 10 rebounds and one assist in 34 minutes of play.

Billy Thomas upstaged Talk N Text counterpart Brandon Williams, tallying a game-high 38 points that went with seven rebounds and two assists. The other Tanduay starters, Bong Hawkins, Jeffrey Cariaso and Dindo Pumaren, also had their significant contributions, combining for 33 points, 14 rebounds and 18 assists.

Thomas waxed hottest in the second quarter where he outscored the entire Talk N Text team, 15-14.

Ahead by only four, 24-20, after the opening, the Rhum Masters padded the lead to 53-34 going into the final half as they worked efficiently behind Thomas, Menk, Hawkins and Cariaso.

" We broke their back in the second quarter with the boys responding to my call. We took control from the start pero puro jab lang walang killer blow. In a timeout in the second quarter, I told them to deliver the killer blow," said Pumaren.

In the second canto, Tanduay outscored Talk N Text, 29-14, while shooting 47 percent from the field against its rival’s woeful 25-percent clip. The Rhum Masters dominated the boards, 18-11, and had more assists at 8-2.