It all boils down to heart, will

MANILA, Philippines - In a fitting climax to a duel to remember, resilient champ Talk n Text and resolute challenger B-Meg square off for one last time tonight, deciding which has the  worthier claim on the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Both have proved to be worthy finalists, figuring in a fierce battle through six games to set up this one final game for all the marbles.

The moment of truth starts at 6 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It’s been a seesaw series going to a deciding Game Seven with B-Meg emerging victorious in Games One, Three and Five and Talk n Text getting even in Games Two, Four and Six.

It comes down to one final game that can only be a battle of heart and will.

“We’re so evenly matched so it’s gonna come down to one game. It’s destined that way from the very beginning,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone. 

“In the end, it’s one game for all the marbles. That’s what this championship is all about. Maybe, we shouldn’t have played the first six games,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.

In this one last game, the two coaches said the key is to stay calm and composed, and find a way to execute their plays.

But they have their concerns.

“We just can’t get two good games together. We shot below 40 percent in the games we lost and shot above 40 percent in the games we won. I don’t know what to do. We have to make sure we shoot the ball well in Game Seven,” said Reyes.

“We’ve got to make the other people involved. We need extra scorers out there,” said Cone, well aware only Denzel Bowles and James Yap did much of the scoring for his team in the last two games.

Bowles and Yap combined for 58 points in their 82-66 win in Game Five and put together 60 points in their 82-92 loss in the next game.

The Texters shook off a lethargic start and rode on Jason Castro’s decisive flurry in the final canto as TnT scored a forceful win Friday before a mammoth crowd of over 20,000 at the Big Dome.

Among the celebrities and personalities seen in the venue in Game Six were former NBA player Luc Longley, champion boxing trainer Freddie Roach, TV host/actor Vic Sotto, Cong. Erin Tanada, Cong. Robbie Puno and Caloocan Mayor Recom Echiverri.

Making ticket reservations for Game Seven are Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and Pampanga Rep. Dong Gonzales.

Castro delivered 25 points, including 14 in the last quarter and the other Talk n Text top guns found their old superb shooting as the Texters survived a third do-or-die game in the tourney – and sixth in the season.

“We made our shots and that’s the key,” said Reyes as they foiled the Friday party anticipated by the Llamados and their supporters.

“Even if you take a look at the stats, we gave up also 82 points in the last game. The difference was that we made our shots,” Reyes added.

The Tropang Texters put up a solid game together, easily negating the 33-point performance of Bowles and the 27-point showing of Yap.

Curiously, no other B-Meg scored more than five. Jarred Dillinger, Ranidel de Ocampo, Donnell Harvey and Ryan Reyes, meanwhile, were four other Texters who logged double-digit outputs.

Proving to be a big key was the 14-of-24 combined three-point shooting of Castro, Dillinger, De Ocampo, Reyes and Larry Fonacier.

De Ocampo snapped off his personal slump, knocking in four three-pointers and finishing with 15 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal in 28 minutes of action.

The two teams try to best one another tonight with the Texters chasing a fourth crown in five conferences and the Llamados in pursuit of a ninth championship in franchise history.