MANILA, 5 October 2006 — Talk before the opening of the PBA Philippine Cup was on how strong Barangay Ginebra got in the off-season -and on how the Gin Kings looked so invincible on paper.
Very few actually gave the “other powerhouse” team a close look.
Talk ‘N Text, the guns of its ultra-loaded armada firing away at will, ripped defending champion Purefoods to shreds, 108-99, for a debut that was as impressive - if not better - than Ginebra’s 33-point win in the inaugurals.
The Phone Pals wriggled out of a tight first quarter and opened up a 50-30 lead at halftime thanks to 17 Harvey Carey points before intermission and a fluid support coming from virtually everyone in the rock-solid roster.
“I think we came out really strong,” Talk ‘N Text coach Derrick Pumaren said. “For us, the season started three weeks after we got eliminated (in the last tournament), and I told them that we just have to work hard.
“There’s really no need for us to change the way we play. We just have to work hard each and every night.”
The Phone Pals built a 23-point lead at the start of the third and showed commendable composure when the Chunkee Giants came storming back to as close as five points in the fourth period.
But it was to no avail as Asi Taulava shot all of his 13 points in the stretch and Anthony Washington, a sophomore bracing for a breakout season, added nine of his 18.
Talk ‘N Text thus joined the idle Gin Kings and Red Bull on top of the heap with 1-0 cards as the last three teams left to see action finally get their turn tomorrow when Sta. Lucia and Air21 collide and the San Miguel Beermen clash with the Bulls.
Alaska, meanwhile, played the way it was supposed to and walloped Coca-Cola Tigers, 99-84, in the first game for the Aces’ first win following a lopsided loss in their debut.
“We played a little bit better tonight,” said Alaska’s Tim Cone. “But it was not a great game by any means. After a loss like the one we came from, we’ll take this one (victory) anytime.”
Alaska was coming off a 99-93 loss to Red Bull Thursday last week, a defeat that was not as close as the final score would suggest after the Aces trailed by as many as 20 points several times right in the first half.
“The people there (in Guam) booed us,” Cone recounted. “It was pretty disappointing on our part because we knew the organizers (of the game) and considering that the last time we were there we won the tournament.” And after winning the league’s first-ever preseason title with a five-game sweep, it was indeed hard to imagine the Aces to go down that bad.
Last night, however, was a different story.
“There’s no reason for us not to be confident,” Cone said.. “Sometimes, wins that you grind out are better than the pretty ones.” There was indeed confidence, not only in the players but in Cone himself.
The firebrand mentor did not even start Willie Miller, the 2003 Most Valuable Player, and Tony dela Cruz, undoubtedly the team’s best outside shooter and formidable defender.
But Miller still went on to score 26 points and lead all Alaska shooters. His 12 fourth quarter points came at the most opportune time after the Tigers had sliced down what was once a 15-point deficit to just six entering the final nine minutes.
Mike Cortez scored 12 of his 23 points in the first period, when the Aces started dictating the tempo before zooming to a 47-32 lead late in the second period.
Coke was in the fight for the last time was after two Ali Peek baskets made it 69-75, but Miller scored six of the next eight Alaska points to put the outcome to rest, 85-71, heading into the final six minutes.
