Tired, weary Tigers, Texters start series

MANILA, Philippines - After enduring a pair of grueling semifinal face-offs that ended in sudden deaths, this title series will surely feel like death.

Physically and emotionally drained from gut-wrenching campaigns in the Final Four, Talk n Text and Powerade collide in Game One of the PBA Philippine Cup finals in Digos City, Davao del Sur.

The Tropang Texters and the Tigers were forced to go the full route against the Petron Blaze Boosters and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, respectively, in the semis and will be coming into the best-of-seven title series with hardly any game plan.

“We have no time to prepare. We’ll basically wing it and find a way to compete,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.

Game One is set at 6:30 tonight with both teams expected to bank on sheer talent and the capacity to bear the inroads of fatigue.

“We’ve been through tough times. This is not the time that we are going to be satisfied. We understand what is at stake here,” said Powerade coach Bo Perasol. “We know we’re up against a giant but we’re going to fight.”

The Texters and the Painters will then take a much-needed two-day break before resuming their battle also at 6:30 p.m. Monday back at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Despite the rigors of the Final Four, the Tropang Texters and the Tigers are both raring to plunge into action in pursuit of the coveted crown.

Having made history as the third team to overcome a 1-3 deficit in a best-of-seven series against the Petron Blaze Boosters, the Texters are determined to carve another feat, looking to become the first ball club in 27 years to successfully defend the all-Filipino title.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are aching to end an eight-year title drought.

Talk n Text and Powerade are pitted in PBA finals for the second time following their title collision in the same conference in 2003.

The Texters, then still with Asi Taulava and an outstanding young rookie in Jimmy Alapag, topped the Tigers in six games. Curiously, the current TnT mentor was on the other side, pitted against Joel Banal.  

The Tigers, an upcoming squad who barely survived the eliminations, have made it all the way to the finals, ranged against a powerhouse squad that just missed a grand slam last season.

The Texters are the hands-down favorites in the series with their solid, power-packed cast that placed second in the elims. The Tigers barely made the playoffs, beating the Alaska Milk Aces and the Shopinas.com Clickers for eighth spot.

However, Reyes and his chargers are not taking the Tigers lightly.

“A lot had said it’s going to be easy for Rain or Shine (to beat Powerade), but look what happened,” said Reyes.

Needless to say, the Texters are concerned particularly on how to handle Gary David, Marcio Lassiter and Jayvee Casio – the Magnificent Three who keyed Powerade’s charge versus B-Meg in the quarterfinals and against Rain or Shine in the semifinals.

Perasol, however, insists it won’t just be about David, Lassiter and Casio.

David, the tourney’s scoring leader with an average of 24.57 point a game, believes they have what it takes to beat Talk n Text.