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 Talk ’N Text survived Dondon Hontiveros’ career game and downed San Miguel Beer, 110-106, Sunday night for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven semifinal duel in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
The Tropang Texters won in a classic endgame by getting big shots from Jimmy Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo in what easily stood out as the best-played contest yet of the tournament.
Alapag and De Ocampo took turns to negate Hontiveros’ 39 points, giving the Texters momentum going into the critical fourth game of the series on Wednesday.
In the first game, Nelbert Omolon woke up from a deep slumber and gave Sta. Lucia Realty the jolt to avoid falling into a fatal 0-3 hole.
The 6-foot-4 swing-man scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to spark the Realtors to a 76-65 win over Alaska after losing the first two games of their own semifinal series.
Alapag hit his fifth and last triple with 1:52 left for a 107-105 lead while De Ocampo capped a 17-point night with a five-point cluster in the fourth to help put away the Beermen.
“We were just thinking that he was bound to miss somehow,” said Talk ’N Text coach Chot Reyes of Hontiveros, whose eight triples were also a career-high.
San Miguel played without Dorian Peña, who was sidelined with a right ankle sprain, and Jay Washington, who had to attend to his wife who gave birth on Sunday.
With the score at 108-106, the Beermen had a chance to at least tie the game. But rookie Bonbon Custodio drove the lane prematurely and overshot a left-handed layup that led to Mac Cardona sealing the game with two free throws with one-tenth of a second left off a Hontiveros foul.
Omolon was undoubtedly the key in the Realtors’ victory.
“As what I have been telling everyone, the performance of our team depends on the performance of Bitoy (Omolon),” said coach Boyet Fernandez, who admitted to talking with his ward prior to Sunday night’s Game 3.
“I told him, ‘You need to focus on your game against Alaska. When you play well against them (Aces), the team also plays well.’”
Omolon scored 15 points in the second period when the Realtors seized control and then scattered eight in the payoff frame to keep the Aces at bay.
It was the kind of performance that keyed the Realtors’ 4-3 conquest of the Aces in the semifinals last year, when Omolon averaged 16.7 points and seven rebounds.
The scores:
First Game
STA. LUCIA 76—Omolon 25, Reyes 10, Coronel 9, Williams 8, Espino 7, Daa 6, Miranda 6, Yeo 5, Gonzales 0.
ALASKA 65—Miller 21, De Vance 15, Hugnatan 7, Ferriols 7, Tenorio 6, Borboran 5, Dela Cruz 4, Fonacier 0, Thoss 0, Sotto 0, Cariaso 0.
Quarters: 18-19, 41-32, 60-49, 76-65
Second Game
TALK N' TEXT 110—Alapag 22, De Ocampo 17, Cardona 16, Carey 15, Peek 15, Dillinger 11, Ritualo 9, Castro 3, De Ocampo 2.
SAN MIGUEL 106—Hontiveros 39, Custodio 15, Seigle 11, Tugade 9, Pennisi 9, Bono 8, Villanueva 7, Pingris 6, Racela 2.
Quarters: 33-21, 64-61, 84-91, 110-106 |
