Texters oust Aces, seal third straight Philippine Cup stint

MANILA, Philippines – Alaska Milk won’t give up but Talk n Text won’t crack up, carving history as the first team in nearly a decade to make three straight PBA Philippine Cup finals.

Before a near capacity crowd at the Cuneta Astrodome, the back-to-back defending champions Tropang Texters held off the Aces, 83-78, in a fierce battle tonight, setting up a duel of champs with Governors Cup title-holder Rain or Shine.

Like the Elasto Painters versus the San Mig Coffee Mixers, the Texters bundled the Aces out in six games, 4-2, to gain a shot at a “Three-Peat” in the tourney’s most prestigious tourney.

No team has won the tourney three in a row since Crispa ruled it in 1979, 1980 and 1983. The league didn’t hold an all-Filipino tourney in 1981 and 1982.

“We have good, hard-working players and they deserve to be back in the finals. The goal now is to win it,” said TnT coach Norman Black making the finals in his first conference after a 10-year absence (as head coach) in the pro league.

“It feels good to be back in the championship and that’s the goal from the very beginning,” said Black on his own feat.

The multi-titled bench tactician, taking over from coach Chot Reyes after handing Ateneo five straight championships in the UAAP, is chasing an 11th title in the pros. He won 10 crowns in 14 previous PBA finals with San Miguel Beer and Sta. Lucia Realty.

Black and the Texters start their battle with coach Yeng Guiao and his RoS troops Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We’ve certainly gone through a tough series against Alaska Milk and hopefully it helps us against Rain or Shine,” said Black. “Rain or Shine is a different package as far as competition is concerned. They have big guys who can shoot from the outside and at the same time they’re very physical inside both offensively and defensively.”

Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Jarred Dillinger, Kelly Williams and Ranidel de Ocampo carried the load for the Texters as they foiled the Aces’ bid to force a rubber match.

Castro, Dillinger, Williams and De Ocampo took the cudgels for TnT early on before Alapag came to life, pouring in all of his 15 points in the final half.

Alapag helped TnT build a nine-point lead, 80-71, that proved enough cushion on their four-minute dry spell at the finish, becoming the first team to make the Philippine Cup finals three in a row since Purefoods' seven straight from 1988-94.

Castro, Dillinger, Williams and De Ocampo also put in double-digit outputs, negating Calvin Abueva’s 11th double-double game in the conference. The prized rookie made a career best 23 points that went with 13 rebounds.

Alaska stared at early 10-point deficits but rode Abueva’s and Gabby Espinas’ 13 straight markers towards the end of the second quarter to seize the lead at 41-37.

Abueva gave the Aces tremendous boost in the second period, collecting 12 points and six rebounds despite three early fouls.

The Texters, however, salvaged a one-point lead, 42-41, at the half on a long jumper by Ryan Reyes and two free throws by Castro inside the final minute.

Dillinger, Williams and Castro delivered the goods as TnT set the pace in the first 18 minutes of the game, leading by 10 at 28-18 and 32-22.

Dillinger opened the game with a three-point play and a trey before Williams and Castro took over, finishing with 12 and nine points, respectively, in the first 24 minutes of play.