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SERIES NOW 3-1
01/28/2012
Game Tomorrow
(Araneta Coliseum)
Best-of-7 Finals
6:45 p.m. – Talk ‘N Text vs. Powerade
(TNT leads, 3-1)
By Rocky Nazareno
Powerade hung tough against a determined Talk ‘N Text side and averted a playoff whitewash with a pulsating 100-97 win last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum that kept the Tigers’ hopes alive in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup Finals which they now trail, 1-3.
Sean Anthony knocked in a medium-range jumper with 39.8 seconds left that shattered a 97-all count then the Tigers watched as the Tropang Texters blew their offensive thrusts with two missed free throws by Jason Castro and muffed three-pointers from Talk ‘N Text’s pointguards to finally claim their first win in what had painfully turned out to be a losing Finals playoff for them.
“I did not instruct them on any specific action on offense (at endgame). We’ve really matured in the last two games which could been won-games for us. It’s going to be a learning process for us and for (the players) to learn by themselves,” said Powerade coach Bo Perasol.
It was indeed a glorious night for the Tigers as they also hailed the emergence of super forward Gary David as a marquee player in the league after he was named the Conference’s Most Valuable Player.
And while Perasol, himself, worried that the award would have an ill-effect on David’s game, the sleek-shooting forward did not disappoint and finished with 35 points, including a near-perfect 11-of-12 clip from the free throw line, including the last charity that notched the final count at 100-97.
“Panalo na ngayon. Naramdaman naming palapit nang palapit, overtime nung Game 3, kaya eto, panalo na,” David said.
Despite the loss, the Tropang Texters remained on track in defending their title with their objective of duplicating a feat last pulled off 27 years ago still intact.
And it very well looked like the Tropang Texters were already poised to fashion out the 4-0 sweep when Larry Fonacier engineered a scoring binge in the last 1:17 when the Tigers were protecting a 97-88 lead. The lanky forward opened with a free throw then pumped in a three-pointer — all in a span of only five seconds — that sent them threatening at 94-97.
Not a few sensed an endgame collapse by Powerade after JV Casio mishandled the ball in the Tigers’ next possession that allowed the Tropang Texters to set up another offensive with Fonacier striking anew from beyond the arc that tied the count at 97-all, with 60 seconds on the gameclock.
The Tigers emerged from a timeout called by Perasol to a swarming Talk ‘N Text but Casio found a wide-open Anthony from just 18 feet from the basket. The masked Tiger hit on that jumper for a 99-97 count, with 39.8 seconds remaining.
It was Talk ‘N Text’s turn to look disorganized in offense in the ensuing play as Ranidel De Ocampo issued a wild pass to a driving Fonacier — the ball slipping out of his hands. But Castro caught the ball near the midcourt line and was promptly fouled by Casio.
But the pressure of being under the limelight before a wildly cheering Smart Araneta Coliseum may have gotten the best out of the grizzled Castro as he missed both his charities.
After his second charity clanked off the rim, David collared the rebound and was fouled for the last charity that notched the final count.
The Tropang Texters still had two chances to send the game into overtime but attempts by Castro and Alapag were futile as the Tigers claimed a small patch of heaven in averting a series shutout.