Talk ‘N Text rallies to down Petron in OT

Norman Black labeled this one pretty well.
“It’s got to be one of the best wins of my career,” Black, the Talk ‘N Text coach, said last night moments after a great Houdini act against Petron Blaze that got the Tropang Texters climbing above .500 once again in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Talk ‘N Text rallied from six points down in the final 37 seconds of regulation and then held Petron to a league record-tying scoreless overtime for a 93-85 decision at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Donnell Harvey finished with a PBA-career high 38 points that went with seven boards and Larry Fonacier contributed 18 and seven assists as the Tropang Texters rose to 5-4.
The loss was just the third in nine games for the Boosters, but this one would be very hard to swallow after Petron missed all of its six attempts from the field and had three costly blunders to fail to put up a score in the extra five minutes. It was just the second time that a team had gone scoreless in overtime in the league’s 38-year history and it was quite odd that it was Petron, whose franchise has won the most titles in the league with 19 and whose roster could pass for two all-star teams.
The other team that has a horrid mark in the league is, ironically enough, Talk ‘N Text, which was held scoreless by defunct Shell in Game 2 of the 2004-2005 Philippine Cup semifinals.
Jimmy Alapag, the former MVP, forged overtime at 85 all after shaking off Alex Cabagnot with a great head and shoulder fake for a triple from more than 25 feet out with 2.7 seconds remaining.
Petron then failed to even execute a game-winning play from there when Ronald Tubid’s inbounds pass to June Mar Fajardo came just a tad high.
Talk ‘N Text actually trailed, 79-85 with 37.1 seconds remaining after Alex Cabagnot made a split from the charity stripe off a Jason Castro foul.
Ranidel de Ocampo hit the first of two treys that sewed it all up, connecting with 25.8 seconds remaining for 82-85.
Overtime wouldn’t have happened if the referees got the call right in the next Talk ‘N Text play, which Tubid broke up but was forced to a jump ball by Harvey. Game officials didn’t see Tubid calling for a timeout after the scramble and was tied up by Harvey on the ground.
Still, the Boosters can’t blame anyone for failing to score in extension.
“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Black said of the Tubid incident when he was reminded of it inside the press room.
“We needed a win, even if it was only half-a-point,” Black told reporters later. “It almost came down to that. It’s got to be one of the best wins I have ever had. We needed a confidence booster.” Barangay Ginebra, meanwhile, averted a collapse of its own in the second game, holding on to an 84-81 decision of Meralco for the Gin Kings’ third straight win that muddled up the middle of the standings.
The Gin Kings almost blew a 21-point second quarter lead by relaxing on defense, something which didn’t escape the attention of coach Alfrancis Chua.
“It’s a scary win, we relaxed on defense,” Chua said. “The only team that can shut us down is ourselves. Had we lost tonight, it would have been our fault.” Import Vernon Macklin scored 23 points and had 22 rebounds and Mark Caguioa had another solid performance with 21 markers.
But the reigning MVP had to limp out of the court with less than four minutes remaining because of a left knee injury, something which team doctors fear could be an MCL tear.
Eric Dawson paced the Bolts with 31 points and 21 rebounds and Meralco, which is now also at 4-5 like Ginebra and the idle Air21 Express and defending champion San Mig Coffee Mixers, tried coming back