Recharged Petron torches Talk n Text

MANILA, Philippines - Running on an empty tank in the last two games, Petron Blaze refilled, recharged and blasted Talk n Text, 105-83, in a giant turnaround in Game Four of the PBA Governors Cup best-of-seven finals last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

They did so with vengeance in their eyes.

The Boosters rebounded strongly from back-to-back blowout losses, charging back into the series, 2-2, with a lopsided win of their own relished by their cheering fans.

Written off after being beaten by a whopping combined margin of 45 points Wednesday and Friday, the Boosters sprang back to life on a decisive third-quarter attack they sustained through to the finish.

Petron bamboozled Talk n Text, 33-12, in the third period to open an 86-62 spread, then manned the ramparts to avoid falling into a deep 1-3 hole.

“We just contained them on all departments where they beat us the last time out,” said Petron coach Ato Agustin.

The Tropang Texters played so-so basketball curiously after getting the lion’s share in the Leo Awards, including the MVP plum that went to Jimmy Alapag.

Alapag and Kelly Williams made the Mythical First Five, Jason Castro crashed the Mythical Second Team and grabbed the Most Improved Award while Ryan Reyes gained All-Defensive Team honors.

The Boosters, however, simply bested the Texters in the game that followed the season-end annual awards.

Arwind Santos, who settled for a spot in the Mythical Five after being beaten by Alapag in the MVP race, came through with 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead Petron in its determined bid to stop Talk n Text.

Danny Ildefonso also had double-double numbers with 11 boards and 10 markers while Denok Miranda, Anthony Grundy and Alex Cabagnot added at least 16 points each. 

“Awards are really jinx. It happens so often,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.

Reyes believed it’s more of emotional and psychological with the Petron players simply exerting harder efforts in the game.

“My players didn’t want it and the other team wanted it more. It showed in the effort. We couldn’t set the pace and we lolled into their own pace,” Reyes said.

The Boosters hit their strides in the second quarter, converting 59.1 percent of their shots to take the half at 53-50.

They trailed by eight twice in the opening quarter and were still behind at 45-47 before stringing up four unanswered baskets to move ahead, 53-47.

Jason Castro nailed a buzzer-beating top-of-the-key shot to make it a three-point game at the break.

The Boosters banked on a balanced game to negate the Texters’ 8-of-17 three-point shooting in the first 24 minutes of play.

Ryan Reyes was perfect with 4-of-4 while Scottie Reynolds, Castro and Larry Fonacier combined for 4-of-11.

Rookie Rey Guevarra started at small forward spot and contributed six points, two rebounds and two assists in the opening canto.

Reyes, however, had a much stronger start in the same position, collecting 14 makers and two boards in the same stretch.