Games on Wednesday: (Cuneta Astrodome)

5:15 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs. Powerade
7:30 p.m. – Petron vs. Talk ‘N Text


TALK ‘N Text was on the verge of being toppled from moving one step closer of setting history.

Not so fast. The Tropang Texters might just pull off another record-matching feat before they aim to become the first franchise to repeat as Philippine Cup champions in nearly three decades.

Jimmy Alapag hit for a personal conference-high 29 points and flicked 10 assists, and Talk ‘N Text extended bitter-rival Petron to a deciding Game 7 on Wednesday, outlasting the Boosters 111-108 last night in Game Six of their PBA Philippine Cup semi-finals series at the Araneta Coliseum.

This is the first time out of 13 previous occasions that the proud franchise of Petron (including San Miguel Beer) was forced to go through a deciding match after a 3-1 series advantage, and it now looks that the Tropang Texters possess all the momentum heading into the knockout match that was thought impossible from the way the Boosters had won three in a row after losing the series’ opener.

”One game for all the marbles,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes. “Today we just focused really on effort. And I hope we can find that same energy and desire on Wednesday. There’s still one more game to be played.

”We’re just blessed we are in this position. We’re raring to go. I hope we have saved our best for last.”

Rain or Shine also forced a do-or-die contest against Powerade, getting 26 points from Jeff Chan in a 112-98 victory later in the night.

Chan, held to only six points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field in Game Five, bounced back big this time. He shot 5-of-9 from three-point land, while Paul Lee had 15 points and seven assists as the Elasto Painters kept alive their hopes of advancing to the Finals for the first time since barging into the league in 2006.

Gary David and Marcio Lassitter each scored 30 points for Powerade, while Doug Kramer had 15 points and 13 rebounds. David reached the 30-point mark for the seventh time in the last seven games.

”Our energy level was a lot better today than the last time,” said Painters’ coach Yeng Guiao. “We played their three guards well. We made them work for their baskets. They will get their baskets but we wanted to make them difficult for them.”

Alapag shot 8-of-18 from the floor and hit all 10 free throw shots.

His last assist for the night came on Larry Fonacier, who buried a three-point shot with 1:09 left to play as the Texters took a 106-102 lead.

”This series has been so close that it goes down to which team makes the plays,” said Alapag. “We dug ourselves a huge hole (1-3). But I told the guys no matter what, we just have to keep on fighting. This is still our championship until somebody takes it away.”

Ranidel de Ocampo added 23 points, Fonacier had 15, Ali Peek contributed 12 points and nine rebounds and Jayson Castro scattered 11 points for Talk “N Text, which played without starting point guard Ryan Reyes (wrist) and fielded Kelly Williams (hamstring) for merely four minutes.

Arwind Santos had 20 points but just pulled down six rebounds, and Alex Cabagnot had 18 points even though he just shot 3-of-11 from the field. Cabagnot, who bungled three attempts and committed a key error in the final three minutes, also had 10 assists.

”We didn’t play defense,” said Cabagnot. “That’s not our game-ppan. We just have to regroup for Wednesday.”

This was the first time in the pulsating series that Talk ‘N Text breached the 100-point mark, and the ball club seeking to repeat as all-Filipino champion since Great Taste in 1985 shot an amazing 50.7 percent from the field on 37-of-73 shooting.

The Texters also blasted the Boosters in the battle off the boards, 50-32, and had more second-chance points, 18-7.

So now, the team that appeared doomed is expected to come out on Wednesday as if its life depends on it, hoping to become the third ball club to overcome a 1-3 deficit since Ginebra in the 1991 First Conference Finals against Shell and Purefoods against Alaska in the 2006 semi-finals of the Philippine Cup.


The scores:

First Game:

Talk ‘N Text (111) - Alapag 29, De Ocampo 23, Fonacier 15, Peek 12,
Castro 11, Gamalinda 5, Aguilar 5, Dillinger 5, Carey 4, Williams 2,
Alvarez 0.           

Petron (108) - Santos 20, Cabagnot 18, Lutz 16, Ildefonso 16, Miranda
14, Tugade 10, Yeo 8, Reyes 6.

Quarterscores: 25-23, 47-44, 79-74, 111-108.


Second Game:

Rain or Shine (112) - Chan 26, Lee 15, Matias 14, Buenafe 11, Norwood 8, Rodriguez 8, Cruz 6, Quinahan 6, Ibanes 6, Tang 5, Belga 5, Arana 2.  Powerade (98) - Lassiter 30, David 30, Kramer 15, Anthony 10, Casio 7, Antonio 5, Lingganay 1, Martinez 0, Vanlandingham 0, Allera 0, Cruz 0, Adducul 0, Crisano 0.

Quarterscores: 22-30, 54-50, 80-76, 112-98.