Williams says respect won it for Texters

MANILA, Philippines – Former PBA Most Valuable Player Kelly Williams has won numerous championships with Talk n Text, but their latest crown is the sweetest so far for the dynamic forward.

Williams reiterated that Talk n Text, which won its third straight All-Filipino championship by an epic sweep of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last night at the Araneta Coliseum, is the best team he knows.

"This is the best team I've played for ever. We had respect for each another, knowing that we can be all-stars and starters anywhere else but we all sacrificed for the team to win," said Williams.

"I couldn’t ask for a better team to be part of. The work ethic is top notch and again the biggest thing is respect," he added.

The Tropang Texters routed the Elasto Painters, 105-82, to complete the sweep.

"It's really crazy. I'm still numb from the last seven minutes of the game. Jimmy (Alapag), JD (Dillinger) and Ranidel (De Ocampo), their shots didn't even hit the rim and I also had a couple of alley oops. We were playing spectacular basketball," said Williams.

"I've never been part of basketball until today. It was unreal and to win in this fashion, it is really an incredible run," he added.

Talk N Text was so dominant on both ends of the floor, and the numbers are evident of the win.

The Texters held the Painters to a paltry 38 percent shooting compared to the former’s 49 percent clip. It was also a landslide for Talk n Text in the assists department, gaining a 34-16 advantage.

"Our defense is the main reason for us to get here. We gave (Jeff) Chan and (Paul) Lee a hard time, at the same time our bigs slowed down their bigs too," said Williams.

The former Rookie of the Year also gave credit to their multi-titled coach Norman Black.

"Coach Norman makes sure that we are on top of our game. He and his coaching staff spend hours and hours watching and studying film of our team and other teams and they work very hard in practice," Williams said.

"The respect we have for him is top-notch so whatever he wants us to do, we follow him to the letter," he added.