Showing great fluidity despite acquiring two superstars just a day before, the Tropang Texters Friday night simply had too much for Coca-Cola to handle, scoring a 103-93 victory and giving Talk 'N Text its sixth straight PBA Fiesta Conference win at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes joined the Texters after a blockbuster, three-team, eight-player deal on Thursday morning, but Talk 'N Text didn’t show problems in cohesion, playing with control all game to improve to 7-2.
“We wanted to approach this game with more effort though I thought that Coca-Cola needed it more,” coach Chot Reyes later told scribes. “That’s exactly what happened and we were as fluid as we normally are.”
Even with a new import, Coca-Cola couldn’t put a stop to a long losing streak as the Tigers have now dropped five straight games to be at 4-5.
Rashad Bell debuted with just 18 points, his 12-point explosion in the third period the only bright spot in his first game on Philippine soil in close to two years. Gary David led the Tigers with 21, but was held to just four points in the final two periods.
“It feels great wearing this uniform,” Reyes, one of the premier guards in the league, said. “Wherever I land, I play my hardest.”
Williams, like Reyes, was broken in gently, playing just 24 minutes. He scored 13 points and gave the Texters the fearsome look like what the all-star San Miguel crew also demands.
And Chot Reyes, who helped discover the two in two trips to the United States earlier in the decade, just couldn’t hide his elation over the trade that brought the two stars to his team.
“We’re coming full circle and we hope to take this as far as we can,” Reyes said of his reunion with the two. “Aside from their obvious physical attributes, what made us want to get them was their willingness to play hard.”
Shawn Daniels led the Texters with 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Mac Cardona dropped 20 with five other locals shooting 10 or better in a multi-bladed attack that befuddled the Tigers all game long.
Williams and Reyes were acquired after the Texters gave up Ali Peek, Nic Belasco and Pong Escobal to Sta. Lucia, who also got Yousif Aljamal and Regomar Menor from Barako Coffee.
Talk 'N Text also dealt away third-string forward Mark Isip, who was absorbed by the Coffee Masters together with the Texters’ second round Draft pick later this year.
It was a deal that reverberated all over the league as the true state of Sta. Lucia’s participation has begun to surface.
Together with that development, reports have it that Meralco, the former great in the defunct Micaa, will be rejoining the premier basketball scene next year, possibly buying into one of the financially-troubled teams in the PBA.
Meralco is owned in huge part by Smart-PLDT, which also owns the Talk 'N Text squad in the PBA. If ever, Smart-PLDT will become the second company to own at least two franchises in the PBA after San Miguel Corp., which has three.
In the second game, Alaska also improved to 5-4 after Diamon Simpson scored 25 points and cleared 15 boards in an 82-73 victory over Rain or Shine.
Cyrus Baguio had his first start for the Aces and finished with 12 markers, with 5-foot-9 guard LA Tenorio scoring 19 points and hauling down nine rebounds.
The Elasto Painters were kept out of their comfort zones by the stingy Alaska defense, as the 14 points of burly Jai Lewis led them in scoring. Ryan Arana and Jay-R Reyes tossed in 10 each with Gabe Norwood and Solomon Mercado held to a combined 13 points.
“It was a big win for us,” Alaska coach Tim Cone saud. “It’s winning time, the second round is approaching and I promised my players that we wouldn’t sacrifice this conference trying to develop people.
“Anyway, I think the exciting thing for me tonight is the 73 points we gave up for Rain or Shine,” Cone added. “We needed an identity, and I told them that we have to take pride in our defense.”
