Finals Game 1: Talk N Text Tropang Texters vs Petron Blaze Boosters

Danny Ildefonso nailed a baseline shot at the buzzer and Petron Blaze completed a rousing comeback from 16-point deficit, stunning heavily favored Talk n Text, 89-88, in the opener of their PBA Governors Cup best-of-seven title showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

“It was the first time in my career that I made a buzzer-beating winning shot. I was so happy it happened in this game – the start of a finals where we’re the decided underdogs,” said the two-time MVP awardee.

“God is so good. We’re not here if not for Him. Siya na ang nag-shoot noon (God made that shot),” the seven-time champion player insisted.

Anthony Grundy came through with a triple-double job with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists and Sunday Salvacion top scored with 19 but Petron needed Ildefonso’s endgame heroics to steal the game and probably gain momentum heading to Game Two in Tubod, Lanao del Norte Wednesday.

Earlier, Ildefonso and Arwind Santos put up a double-team defense for a crucial steal on Larry Fonacier which Ildefonso parlayed into a breakaway layup pushing Petron ahead, 87-86, after a long, long chase.

The Boosters surged ahead with 17.4 ticks left after trailing by nine with 3:30 left to play.

Talk n Text regained the upper hand seven seconds later as Jimmy Alapag created a play that opened Ryan Reyes for a short stab with 10.1 ticks left.

But the Texters didn’t see the last of Boosters. A quick timeout had Petron coach Ato Agustin mapping out a pick-and-roll play opening up Ildefonso for that game-winning shot.

“We’re still the underdog but we like that role. Sasabihin ng marami pinagbigyan lang kami. Sana pagbigyan kami ng pagbigyan,” said Agustin after making it 3-0 over Talk n Text in their head-on duels in the conference.

The Texters blew away a huge spread as quickly as they built it in the second quarter as they seemed to lose their focus on the game after a silly foul by Mark Yee on the Petron import.

The crowd laughed out load as the slow-mo replay showed Yee thrusting his right hand on Grundy’s buttocks.

Yee did the rectal foul as soon as he checked in after Paolo Hubalde threw a hard foul on Scottie Reynolds on the other end of the floor.

Grundy canned in both charities on Yee’s infraction then Salvacion nailed back-to-back treys and Santos added his own free throw in a decisive run bringing Petron back into the game at 51-53.

The Texters played with razor sharp precision in the first 19 minutes of play, opening a 52-36 lead, but slowed down and scored only three foul shots the rest of the first half.

With almost perfect execution, the Texters took the first quarter at 40-32.

So fluid was the Texters’ start that they issued 11 assists and converted 60.9 percent of their shots in the first 12 minutes of play.

Curiously, Talk n Text was more accurate from afar in the first quarter with Reynolds, Alapag, Ranidel De Ocampo, Fonacier and Reyes combining for 7-of-10 three-point shooting.

Alapag, who accounted for two treys, fired in two more in the third quarter helping the Texters regain control at 74-67 after settling for a 55-51 halftime lead.

The scores:

PETRON 89 - Salvacion 19, Grundy 17, Ildefonso 13, Santos 12, Miranda 12, Cabagnot 9, Pennisi 5, Duncil 2, Baclao 0, Hubalde 0. – Nelson Beltran

TALK N' TEXT 88 - Alapag 18, Fonacier 16, De Ocampo 13, Williams 10, Reyes 8, Castro 7, Carey 6, Peek 6, Reynolds 4, Yee 0, Dillinger 0, Aban 0.

Quarterscores: 32-40, 51-55, 67-74, 89-88