MANILA: Unlike in Game 1, Talk 'N Text didn’t trail big early.

In fact, the Tropang Texters lagged behind only early in the third period.

And also unlike in the series opener, the Texters knew how to close out the deal this time, and close out defending champion Purefoods with much conviction.

Point guards Jayson Castro and Kevin Alas struck hardest in the fourth period on Monday night and spearheaded the Tropang Texters to a 93-77 victory over Purefoods for 1-1 in their best-of-five PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four series at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Talk 'N Text was in complete command in the first half, unlike in Game 1 Saturday night where the Texters trailed by as large as 18 points early.

And with the game in the balance entering the final eight minutes, the Texters came up with a swashbuckling finish, a 26-7 salvo, to post the win pulling away and reclaim psychological edge going into Thursday’s Game 3.

Alas, the 6-foot rookie out of collegiate power Letran in the NCAA, hit two straight triples and had a breakaway layup against James Yap in a 9-0 spurt that had the Texters turning a 67-70 deficit into a 76-70 lead entering the final 6:07

Free throws by Denzel Bowles and Yap sandwiched an Ivan Johnson dunk for Talk 'N Text before the Texters went on another scoring tear highlighted by seven straight Castro points to round out scoring.

Castro finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Alas had 12 for the Texters, who will have momentum on their side when Game 3 is played Thursday night also at the storied Big Dome floor.

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine tries to apply the broom on Meralco in their best-of-five series on Tuesday and become the first finalist as the Elasto Painters battle the Bolts at 7 p.m.

Two-to-nothing up and all pumped up, Rain or Shine has everything going its way and is highly favored to make a third championship series stint in the last four conferences and fourth in the last five with a win.

“We will put all our energy into the game on Tuesday,” coach Yeng Guiao had said after winning with plenty to spare in Game 2 of their separate series with Norman Black and the short-handed Bolts.

Talk 'N Text built leads of as big as 11 points in the first period on the way to closing out the half with a 40-34 lead.

But the Hotshots, who won this title at the expense of the Texters in four games last season on the way to the storied Grand Slam, came out of the halftime break firing on all cylinders.

Yap capped a 12-0 opening to the third period with a triple to start a see-saw battle, only for the Texters to come up with that dizzying finishing kick that practically left the Hotshots in awe.

In fact, after those seven straight points by Castro, Purefoods coach Tim Cone didn’t bother calling for time anymore after his Hotshots trailed, 87-77, with still 1:22 left.

Meanwhile, referee Rey Yante was suspended for the rest of the conference by the Office of the Commissioner, but not for the infraction that got Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao’s ire on Sunday.

Yante became the third referee canned in less than two weeks for poor performance.

In last Sunday’s game, Cliff Hodge of Meralco blocked a driving Jonathan Uyloan’s layup in the middle of the fourth period but Yante – even with the sequence happening in front of him – still awarded possession to the Bolts.

Late last week, the league also announced the suspension of senior referee Art Herrera for five game days after nullifying a three-point basket by Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood in Game 1 of the Painters’ series with the Bolts.

Previous to that, the league also slapped Rommel Gruta with a suspension for the rest of the tournament for failing to call a 24-second violation in the Rain or Shine-Ginebra quarterfinal match that led to Jeff Chan’s game-winning layup.