Two of its stars likewise remain far from being in game shape.
Those setbacks didn’t stop Tropang Texters from mowing down their foes.
The defending champions unloaded a key blast in the second quarter, and Talk ‘N Text blasted away from a close game to thrash Shopinas.com, 96-83, in the PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Jayson Castro scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds and flicked four assists and Japeth Aguilar stepped up big time with 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks as the Texters, aiming to become the first repeat all-Filipino champion in 26 years, streaked to their fifth straight win and seventh overall.
“The key for us was not to take the other team lightly and we wanted to find a way to get our key guys rested because we know we have a big game on Saturday against Rain or Shine,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.
“We still have a very, very tough schedule ahead. We need to get the production from a lot of players to be able to survive. After Rain or Shine, we’re playing the three SMC teams (Petron, B-Meg, Ginebra). That’s very crucial.” Talk ‘N Text indeed took it lightly when it went up by 51-32 at the half. But that commanding advantage couldn’t have been possible if not for a 21-5 run that starred Castro and Aguilar in the second period, and what was once a tight 30-27 game turned into a sleeper of a match.
The Clickers now have lost 10 straight with not even a single victory to show, headed for elimination, without a doubt.
On the other hand, the Texters are doing everything to finish either 1-2 after the 14-game eliminations. Accomplishing that feat would reward them of a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinal round against the seventh- or eight-ranked franchise.
It was another spirited victory for Talk ‘N Text, which appeared unaffected by the absence of Jimmy Alapag, Ryan Reyes, Aaron Aban and Rich Alvarez to injuries. Compounding the Texters’ woes, Ranidel de Ocampo and Harvey Carey have yet to fully recover from their injuries, too.
But the Texters have a deep line-up, and every player fielded managed to score.
While Talk ‘N Text needed one big quarter to more or less settle the issue against Shopinas.com, it was an entirely different story for Meralco. Mark Cardona knocked in a tear-drop shot with eight seconds left, and the Bolts scored a pulsating 98-96 victory over Powerade for their sixth win in 10 games.
Cardona connected on the basket to give Meralco a 97-96 lead, and rookie JV Casio tried to squeeze through a phalanx of defenders in the next possession only to be denied of the shot. He lost control of the ball that went out of bounds, and Gabby Espinas was immediately fouled with 0.9 seconds remaining.
Espinas, who led Meralco with 25 points, made the first and deliberately bungled the second. Asi Taulava added 12 points and Sol Mercado poured in 11.
“By far this is the best 10 games in our very young franchise,” said Bolts’ coach Ryan Gregorio. “We’re really fighting for a better situation. We have to dig deep in our bag of tricks to win. Our prayers were just answered.” Gary David paced the Tigers with 26 – 15 coming in the first half – while Doug Kramer backed him up with 17 markers. Powerade dropped to a 3-6 record.
Meantime, Ginebra drew a tremendous boost infusing young blood in its ageing lineup, acquiring versatile forward Rico Maierhofer and rookie dead-shot Allein Maliksi.
The three-team, four-player trade that landed on Commissioner Chito Salud’s lap Tuesday was officially approved 24 hours later. Salud, though, made some minor revisions to the original offer.
In the deal, Barako Bull will get Jimbo Aquino from the Kings plus the franchise’s 2013 first-round pick, while B-Meg took in Yancy de Ocampo and the Energy’s 2012 second-round pick.
The biggest gainer in this pact was, of course, Ginebra. The Kings have added a man in the middle they badly need, and got the services of a shooter who happens to be the first MVP in the PBA Developmental League.
