Thunder slam Pals, extend series

Julius Nwosu once again redeemed himself from an atrocious performance the previous game and Red Bull took the best Talk N Text could dish off last night, hacking out an 86-78 victory to force a deciding Game Seven in the Samsung PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals at the jampacked Philsport Arena.

Nwosu erupted for 28 points, including clutch baskets in the fourth quarter that shattered the hearts of the Phone Pals.

Red Bull and Talk N Text figured in their most furious duel in the series last night but the Thunder pulled it off by eight points in the end behind a strong finishing kick by Nwosu, Davonn Harp, Sean Lampley, Willie Miller and Jimwell Torion.

The Thunder held the Phone Pals to only a single free throw in a stretch of over five minutes at the finish, breaking free from a 70-72 deficit on the way to the big victory that sent the series to its full route.

With the best-of-seven series tied at three games apiece, the Thunder and the Phone Pals return for the winner-take-all match tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum.

"It’s a tiring series and we’re now drained but I hope the adrenalin could carry us through in the end," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.

"If we can carry over the momentum of this victory in the next game, we’ll have a good chance of winning the championship."

Guiao later lauded Nwosu for his efforts, saying the Nigerian import kept the team in the running for a successful title defense in the tourney.

Talk N Text coach Bill Bayno skipped the post-game interview, heading straight to the dugout after confronting league finance officer/technical chief Ricky Palou after the buzzer. The American mentor will likely get hefty fine for the act.

Red Bull and Talk N Text engaged in an exciting see-saw duel, figuring in 13 deadlocks and 23 lead changes before the Thunder unleashed a torrid 16-1 run in the homestretch.

The game was so close the two teams were never separated by over seven points in the first 35 minutes of play. They entered the final four minutes of the contest tied at 72-all.

But in the final reckoning, it was Red Bull which proved the better team this time.

"We get used to the pressure (defense of Talk N Text) now. We handled it better today, probably not physically but psychologically," said Guiao.

The stats proved Guiao right with the Thunder limiting themselves to only 16 turnovers.

And the Thunder dominated the boards, hauling down 44 rebounds as against Talk N Text’s 27. Nwosu accounted for 14 caroms with Lampley adding nine, and Harp, Miller and Torion five apiece.

Red Bull held down Pete Mickael and Jerald Honeycutt to a combined output of 38 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.