The results:

Game 1 -- Talk N Text 116, Powerade 110
Game 2  -- Talk N Text 102, Powerade 96
Game 3 -- Talk N Text 133, Powerade 126
Game 4 -- Powerade 100, Talk N Text 97
Game 5 -- Talk N Text 110, Powerade 101

Talk N Text wins series, 4-1


TALK N Text made sure the balloons will fall inside the Big Dome last night, shutting the door on Powerade with a big bang as the Texters wrote another chapter in the history books with a 110-101  Game 5 win and  clinch the  PBA Philippine Cup crown.

The Texters are now the first team in 27 years to defend the title of the tourney formerly known as the All-Filipino Conference with a 4-1 victory in the best-of-seven series.

The win also gave five-time Coach of the Year winner Talk N Text coach Chot Reyes his fourth title in the PBA and clinch a back-to-back title in the Philippine Cup Conference.

“This victory belong to the players, to the management and to the fans,” said the elated Reyes.

“Powerade has a very special place in my heart, because they really gave us a good fight.”

Asked about his feelings for finally closing out the series, Reyes noted that the feeling is very different from winning in the other PBA conferences.

“Iba talaga ang All Filipino, it was more difficult to defend, and I’m glad that after 27 years, we were able to finally pull it off,” Reyes said.

“This group is very special,  and I noticed it more at the time when Ali Peek was shot. We were praying, and I knew that we will be able to overcome great difficulties,” said Reyes.  “It was a difficult conference, but great teams overcome difficult times, and I know that we are one.”

Larry Fonacier was named as the finals MVP for his spectacular showing in the series.

Fonacier, who pulled off some of the crucial treys in the series, capped the night with nine points, but his defense over Powerade’s Gary David was the pivotal factor in the series.

“I can’t believe I won, because everyone in our team are MVP’s,” said Fonacier.

Not to be outdone was Ryan Reyes, who also chalked his name up in the PBA history books with a record of 10 steals, coupled with a 20-point production last night.

“This is great, and I’m glad that we won,” said Reyes.

All 11 teams which erected 3-0 leads never lost the series, with only five teams managing to force  a Game 5, Alaska even set up a Game 6 against Gordon's Gin in the 1997 Commissioner's Cup but still fell short.

Putting aside the heartbreaking 100-97 Game 4 loss, the Texters waxed hot in the first half,  erecting a huge 20-point advantage, 40-20, in the nine-minute mark of the second period and buckled on defense.

The Tigers, armed with Best Player of the Conference  David, managed to cut the deficit to 46-60 at the end of the first half.

But that first half ended with a near scuttle between Alapag and Rommel Adducul, as the Texters’ guard inadvertedly slammed Adducul to the floor.

Adducul them retaliated with a bump, but cooler heads prevailed and both teams headed to their respective dugouts without further trouble.

Both Alapag and Adducul were slapped with technical fouls.

Powerade put up a gallant stand in the second half, firing off a 10-0 run at the start of the final period to threaten Talk N Text with a 72-85 count, but the Texters were simply unstoppble.

Employing their dreaded trap defense, the Texters managed to break the offensive run on the Tigers and thwarted every rally by Powerade.

David managed to trim the gap to only eight, 101-109 in the final 40 seconds of the match, but it was not enough to deny Talk N Text the victory.

David paced Powerade with 37 points.


The scores:

Talk N Text (110) -- Reyes 20, De Ocampo 18, Alapag 17, Castro 14, Peek 13, Williams 10, Fonacier 9, Dillinger 7, Gamalinda 2, Carey 0.

Powerade (101) -- David 37, Anthony 22, Casio 19, Lassiter 12, Adducul 4, Kramer 3, Crisano 3, Vanlandingham 1, Lingganay 0, Allera 0, Cruz 0.

Quarterscores: 30-16, 60-46, 85-64, 110-101.