Texters, Beermen reach Final Four

MANILA, Philippines –  Talk n Text, the elimination-round top notcher, also distinguished itself as the first team to make the PBA Philippine Cup Final Four after disposing of Rain or Shine, 107-92, at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

The Tropang Texters lived up to their billing as the playoffs’ top seeds, dominating the eighth ranked Elasto Painters with a heads-up game that netted them a seat in the semifinals versus the winner of the Derby Ace-Meralco quarterfinals match-up.

The Smart-PLDT franchise got a monkey off its back with the Texters hurdling the Elasto Painters.

“We’re aware of the franchise’s record with the twice-to-beat advantage. In the team’s three previous twice-to-beat situations, each went to a second game, and the team ended up beaten twice,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.   

“We talked about that. We talked about coming out with a key balance of having the urgency of wanting to finish and at the same time being intelligent and smart not to make foolish moves,” Reyes added.

The Texters came out aggressively with a sense of purpose, jumping the gun on the Elasto Painters and refusing to relax till the finish.

“The key was we came out really focused on the game,” said Jared Dillinger who put in 15 points in the first quarter, helping TnT set the tone of the match early.

Larry Fonacier, Ali Peek, Harvey Carey and Jason Castro showed their stuff as the Texters completely outclassed the Painters on the way to their sixth straight win dating back to the elims which they topped with an 11-3 slate.

Second seed San Miguel Beer also secured a slot in the next round, easing out seventh-ranked Air21, 97-75, later in the night.

The Beermen established control in the second period and sustained the momentum in the final half for the win and the slot in the semis versus either the Alaska Milk Aces or the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

Fonacier topscored with 21 points on an off-the-bench role, nailing five triples and also coming through with five rebounds and four assists.

Peek also played big off the bench, getting 20 points and 14 rebounds while Carey finished with 14 markers and 11 boards in his own double-double game.

Castro chipped in 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.

The whole TnT team sizzled with a 51.9-percent shooting as against Rain or Shine’s 34.9-percent clip.

The Elasto Painters just couldn’t keep up with the Texters’ hot game, thus, getting the boot to end up eighth.

Rain or Shine failed to arrest a sorry skid, losing its last five games in the all-Filipino tourney.

The Painters, obviously tired having played five overtimes in their last two outings, were into the game only in the first few minutes.

Dillinger led TnT to a decisive run towards the end of the opening period, opening a 33-25 lead which the Texters stretched to 62-49 at halftime.

The Texters led by as many as 25 points, 89-64, in the third canto.

Second seed San Miguel Beer also secured a slot in the next round, easing out seventh ranked Air21, 97-75, later in the night.

The Beermen established control in the second period and sustained the momentum in the final half for the win and the slot in the semis versus either the Alaska Milk Aces or the Barangay Ginebra Kings.