Talk ’N Text seemed to have asked this question Friday night before going on to blast Barangay Ginebra, 109-102, to earn the second twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

The Tropang Texters scored 28 points in the first quarter and then 37 in the final frame with Ali Peek and Jimmy Alapag combining for 57 points overall and 31 in the fourth that shamed the Gin Kings’ league-leading defense.

“Our first priority coming into the game was to be able to score against Ginebra’s tough D (defense),” Talk ’N Text coach Chot Reyes said. “I felt that if we could score, we would have a chance.”

Before the game, Ginebra allowed an average of less than 77 points a game, but Talk ‘N Text breached that mark with less than four minutes gone in the fourth period after Peek went wild with an eight-point cluster that set the tone for the Texters.

Talk ‘N Text improved to 10-3 with the win and could even earn No. 1 seeding over idle San Miguel with a win against Air21 Sunday also at the Big Dome.

Tournament rules call for the top two teams to win just once in the first round of the playoffs against the bottom two squads. Those in the middle of the draw will play in two best-of-three series with No. 3 clashing with No. 6 and No. 4 versus No. 5.

Ginebra, despite sliding to 9-4, remained in third place and will finish there regardless of the result of its game against Rain or Shine also Sunday.

Even if the Kings beat the Elasto Painters and the Texters lose to the Express, Talk ‘N Text will still be No. 2 by virtue of the winner-over-the-other rule in breaking ties. Talk ‘N Text and Ginebra played just once in the eliminations.

The game was actually tight throughout until the Texters broke away in the final four minutes after getting the complexion of the game – an offensive one – in their favor.

Talk ‘N Text is the top offensive team in the tournament with an average of 94.5 points, and a late splurge anchored on Alapag’s near-perfect free throw shooting and timely sniping blew the game open for the Texters.

Ginebra actually trailed by a point, 86-87, after a Willie Miller triple with 4:06 left to play only for Alapag to hit two free throws and a triple that Jason Castro sweetened with a breakaway layup for 94-86 heading into the final two minutes.

Miller, who scored 19 of his 22 points in the final half, had 10 points in the fourth period and Billy Mamaril and Mark Caguioa combined for another 15 in the final 12 minutes that still fell short because Ginebra’s defense failed to hold.

Alapag finished with 32 points and Peek with 25 even as six players actually scored 10 points or more for Ginebra, which lost for the first time in three games. Ginebra’s three previous losses came via one-point margins.

Meanwhile, Dennis Daa hit two free throws with four-tenths of a second left in the first game to key an 85-83 victory by Barako Bull over defending champion Derby Ace.

Out of it all since last week, the Energy Boosters snapped an eight-game losing streak and will take their early break for the holidays on a high note after closing out their stint here with a 3-11 record.

The loss, the seventh in 14 games for the Llamados, would not affect their placing in the playoffs drastically as they could still end up in a fifth place tie at worst when the quotients are calculated.

“Before the start of the game, I told them (players) that they have to show that they still belong in this league,” Barako Bull coach Junnel Baculi told reporters. “I think that proved that today. I just wish that there was a third round (of eliminations).”

Derby Ace played without leading scorer Peter June Simon, who served out a one-game suspension for throwing the ball at Ogie Menor in a victory over Meralco Wednesday night.

The streak-shooting swingman was also ordered to pay a P20,000 fine.