Talk ‘N Text assured itself of a playoff after winning from Air 21

Talk ‘N Text assured itself of a playoff for an automatic semifinal seat after nipping Air21, 100-94, in the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Texters needed big plays down the stretch to deny the Express from coming back in the game. They booked at least a tie for one of the top two spots with a league-leading 10-2 win-loss mark. The first and second place qualifiers enjoy twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

Jimmy Alapag fired 18 points and dished out six assists while Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo each had 16 points for the defending champions, who were challenged by the pesky Air 21 side to the hilt.

“Credit to Air21. They played us tough,” said Talk ‘N Text head coach Norman Black, who sent the Express to their third straight loss for a 4-8 mark.

“At the start of the season, the goal is to get into the top two spots and we accomplished that today at least for a playoff. Now the tough road begins. We play Petron next and Ginebra.”

Mike Cortez paced Air 21 with 23 points to go along with his nine rebounds, while James Sena and Nino Canaleta added 18 and 13 points, respectively.

Cortez, Canaleta and Sena were responsible for keeping the Express in the game, combining for 19 points in the third quarter as they trailed by just one point, 70-69, entering the fourth quarter.

They even took the lead at 75-74 on Sena’s basket before Talk ‘N Text responded with an 8-2 assault to take an 82-77 spread.

Renren Ritualo’s three-pointer pushed Air 21 within three points, 88-85. But Kelly Williams hit two free throws and Alapag hit a decisive three-poiinter for a 93-85 cushion with 3:47 remaining to take the game for good.

“Jimmy came into the game with a lot of energy. He’s just being himself tonight,” said Black.

The scores:

TALK N’ TEXT 100 – Alapag 18, Castro 16, De Ocampo 16, Fonacier 11, Williams 9, Peek 9, Dillinger 8, Carey 8, Reyes 2, Aban 2, Alvarez 1.

AIR 21 94 – Cortez 23, Sena 18, Canaleta 13, Isip 9, Arboleda 8, Ritualo 7, Custodio 6, Atkins 4, Reyes 4, Omolon 2, Baclao 0.

Quarters: 20-19, 51-48, 70-69, 100-94
-InterAKTV

air 21 express , jimmy alapag , talk 'n text tropang texters

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Barangay Ginebra San Miguel tries to extend its winning streak, Talk ‘N Text takes on Air 21

League-leader Talk ‘N Text eyes a playoff for an automatic semifinal seat while Barangay Ginebra San Miguel tries to extend its winning streak to four when they face separate foes in the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Texters battle Air 21 in the opener at 4:15 p.m. before the Gin Kings bracing for a royal battle against Rain or Shine at 6:30 p.m.

With a win-loss 9-2 mark, defending Philippine Cup champion Talk ‘N Text shoots for a win that would put one foot in the top two spots, which come with a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.

Talk ‘N Text is coming off a 92-63 shellacking of San Mig Coffee to stay on top of the team standings.

“We can’t get let our guard down. We’re only one game ahead of the other teams,” said Norman Black. The Elasto Painters and the Mixers are just one game behind Talk ‘N Text with identical 8-3 marks.

The Express are holding the No. 8 spot with a 4-7 slate and they need to win their remaining three games to make sure they get a slot in the next round.

In the main tiff, the Gin Kings, toting a 5-5 mark, collide with Rain or Shine, which is fresh off a come-from-behind 102-98 win over Meralco.

Ginebra is on a roll, winning its last three games, but coach Siot Tanquingcen knows his team has to bring its A-game to stand a chance against a tough Elasto Painters squad.

“We need this game very badly,” said Tanquingcen. “So, it’s important for us to keep our focus and execute properly on our offense.”

The Kings are also coming off a 96-93 close win over Alaska to reach .500 after a 2-5 start.

Rain or Shine rallied back from a 26-point hole against the Bolts in notching the improbable victory in a highly physical encounter.
-InterAKTV

air 21 express , barangay ginebra san miguel , rain or shine elasto painters , talk 'n text tropang texters

PBA Standings as of November 24, 2012

In PBA Sabado Nights action, the Petron Blaze Boosters stepped on the gas for their third straight win, this time at the expense of Barako Bull in Lucena City, 93-83.

Team	W	L	PCT	GB	STREAK
Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters	9	2	0.818	-	W1
San Mig Coffee Mixers	8	3	0.727	1	W1
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters	8	3	0.727	1	W2
Meralco Bolts	6	5	0.545	3	W1
Petron Blaze Boosters	6	6	0.500	3.5	W3
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel	5	5	0.500	3.5	W3
Alaska Aces	5	6	0.455	4	L4
Air 21 Express	4	7	0.364	5	L2
Barako Bull Energy Colas	3	8	0.273	6	L3
GlobalPort Batang Pier	1	10	0.091	8	L7

pba standings

Petron Blaze eyes its second straight win on Global Port , Alaska tries to get back on track against Ginebra

Petron Blaze eyes its second straight win against a lowly opponent while Alaska tries to get back on track as the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup resumes on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Boosters battle tail-ender GlobalPort at 4:15 p.m. while the struggling Aces hope to put an end to a three-game losing streak when they take on Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in a 6:30 p.m. encounter.

Petron ended its own slump with a 96-86 win over Rain or Shine and coach Olsen Racela hopes it will lead to a winning streak.

“I hope it’s a start because this will gonna be a crucial stretch for us. Kailangan naming ma-sustain ito,” said Racela, whose team is holding a 4-6 win-loss mark.

They are up against a 1-8 Batang Pier who are in danger of becoming the first team to be booted out of the season-opening conference.

GlobalPort needs to sweep its last five games to have a shot for a spot in the next round.

In the main game, Alaska seeks to put an end to its three-game losing streak against the Kings, who have won two games in a row after dropping five straight.

“Every game is crucial for all teams at this point. It really helps that we won early so we are still in the middle of the standings despite tough losses,” said Aces head coach Luigi Trillo whose team is coming off a 104-103 loss to Air 21.

“Hopefully we get back on track. Ginebra looks like a potent team again.”

Alaska prevailed in their first meeting, 87-69, last October 28 and Gin Kings coach Siot Tanquingcen hopes they can avenge that defeat.

“Though struggling, Alaska is a very tough team to play. They’re 2 to 3 deep in each position,” said Tanquingcen. “We have to take care of the ball better. Last time we played them, we gave up 25 turnover points to them.”

Ginebra is holding a 4-5 win-loss mark.
-interAKTV

alaska aces , barangay ginebra gin kings , globalport batang pier , petron blaze boosters

PBA Standings as of November 17, 2012

In PBA Sabado Nights action all the way from Tubod, Lanao del Norte, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters bounced back from a loss in its last outing by grounding the resurgent Air 21 Express, 71-62.

Team	W	L	PCT	GB	STREAK
Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters	8	2	0.800	-	W1
San Mig Coffee Mixers	7	2	0.778	0.5	W5
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters	7	3	0.700	1	W1
Meralco Bolts	5	4	0.556	2.5	L1
Alaska Aces	5	5	0.500	3	L3
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel	4	5	0.444	3.5	W2
Air 21 Express	4	6	0.400	4	L1
Petron Blaze Boosters	4	6	0.400	4	W1
Barako Bull Energy Colas	3	7	0.300	5	L2
GlobalPort Batang Pier	1	8	0.111	6.5	L5

-interAKTV

pba standings

PBA fined Air 21 center Rob Reyes P10,000, hit on Abueva

The PBA has fined Air 21 center Rob Reyes a sum of P10,000 after an incident last Wednesday in the Express’ victory over the Alaska Aces.

Reyes tangled with Calvin Abueva in the fourth quarter of their game, with the Alaska rookie pulling the veteran slotman down to the floor. Reyes responded by hitting Abueva with an open palm in the face.

Although no foul was called by the referees on the play, the league upon review upgraded the hit to a flagrant foul penalty one.

After meeting with the player Saturday, PBA commissioner Chito Salud sanctioned Reyes for the foul and “for trash talking/taunting” Abueva after the play.

“Reyes’ acts are aggravated by the fact that they were unnecessarily committed when play had already shifted away from both players,” Salud said in a statement.

Earlier, the league suspended referee Jimmy Mariano for four playdates for missing the Reyes foul.

“I am also reminding our players to refrain from needlessly exposing other players, along with themselves, to serious injury and undue hurt through intentional and blatantly dirty and rough play as this will invariably be met with penalties and sanctions from my office.”
-InterAKTV

air 21 express , alaska aces , calvin abueva , rob reyes

PBA Standings as of November 2, 2012

In Friday’s action, an inspired Air 21 Express squad made surprisingly quick work of the Petron Blaze Boosters, 97-76, before JVee Casio lifted the Alaska Aces to a thrilling 94-92 win over the previously undefeated Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters.

Team	W	L	PCT	GB	STREAK
Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters	6	1	0.857	-	L1
Alaska Aces	5	2	0.714	1	W5
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters	4	2	0.667	1.5	L1
Meralco Bolts	4	2	0.667	1.5	W2
San Mig Coffee Mixers	4	2	0.667	1.5	W2
Petron Blaze Boosters	3	4	0.429	3	L1
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel	2	4	0.333	3.5	L4
Barako Bull Energy	2	5	0.286	4	L3
Air 21 Express	2	5	0.286	4	W1
GlobalPort Batang Pier	1	6	0.143	5	L3

pba standings

PBA will suspend referee Rey Yante for his goaltending call on Talk ‘N Text-Alaska Game

Another goaltending issue, another controversy.

The PBA will reportedly suspend referee Rey Yante for his goaltending call on Talk ‘N Text forward Kelly Williams late in the Tropang Texters’ 94-92 loss to the Alaska Aces.

Virgil Villavicencio, the head of the media bureau of PBA teams under the MVP Group of Companies which includes Talk ‘N Text and Meralco, told InterAKTV that they have been informed by the PBA about the suspension.

(InterAKTV is part of InterAksyon.com, the news site of TV5, which is also part of the MVP Group.)

“We were told that Referee Yante was suspended for six playdates,” said Villavicencio.

The PBA did not answer inquiries by InterAKTV asking for confirmation of the suspension.

It was the second game in the past week involving a goaltending issue late in the game. During the San Mig Coffee-Barako Bull match last Sunday, controversy arose after a late swipe by Rafi Reavis on the potential game-winning shot by Enrico Villanueva. Despite complaints from the Barako Bull side, the PBA affirmed that the play was legal and was not goaltending.

In Williams’ case, the former MVP was called for a goaltending on a layup by Cyrus Baguio. But television replays showed that the ball was still on an upward motion toward the backboard before Williams made contact with it.

Last month, the league suspended another referee, Jun Marabe, for an erroneous foul call during a Ginebra-Rain or Shine match.
-InterAKTV

alaska aces , talk 'n text tropang texters

Casio stars as Aces slay mighty Texters

The Casio-Abueva connection is turning out to be a deadly combination.

JVee Casio hit three straight three-pointers and a game-tying layup as Alaska overcame an 11-point lead by Talk n' Text in the end game to hand the Tropang Texters their first defeat of the season, 94-92, Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.

"He made us look good single handedly like that," said Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo. "It's nice to see them scratch and claw. (It) builds character for this kind of team."

After a Ranidel De Ocampo miss at one end of the court, the Aces had 5.3 seconds remaining to win the game. Trillo called a timeout to set up the final play that had Casio receiving the inbounds from Tony Dela Cruz. The gutsy guard drove to the rim, evading the Talk n' Text defense for the lead with 2.4 seconds remaining, 94-92.

After a timeout by Norman Black, the Texters then went with Fonacier, who had his short jumper rattle out as Talk n' Text suffered its first loss of the season.

"We're also lucky. Coach Norman put a good play in the end. Sometimes, its just like that, breaks," added Trillo.

A 28-16 third quarter gave the Texters a 74-68 lead entering the payoff period. After a Bam Gamalinda three and a technical foul on Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo, Talk n' Text found themselves with a comfortable 11-point lead, 83-72, with 6:04 remaining in the game.

The Aces then went to Baguio, who hit back to back drives. A defensive stop by Abueva at the other end led to a Casio four-point play with 3:08 remaining to cut the lead to two, 83-81.

At the 2:44 mark, Larry Fonacier snapped the Aces' 9-0 run with his own tough trey, before Casio went on automatic mode, hitting back to back threes to give the Aces the lead, 87-86. The former La Salle standout was slapped with a foul at the other end that led to three freethrows for Alapag to give the Texters a two-point lead yet again, 89-87.

A split by Williams made it a three-point game at the 1:24 mark, before Abueva hit an open three off a Casio assist to tie the game, 90-all.

After the game-tying trey, Calvin Abueva fouled out with 1:06 ticks to go, while Kelly Williams hit two freethrows to give Talk n' Text a two-point lead. Williams was then slapped with a goaltending call on a layup by Baguio with 28.6 seconds remaining to tie the game yet again, 92-all. In the ensuing play, the Texters went with De Ocampo for a baseline jumper that bounced off the rim, leading to the Casio game-winner.

The triple threat of Casio, Baguio, and Abueva combined for 55 big points to lead the Aces. Super rookie Abueva had another all-around game with five boards, four assists, and five steals.

Alapag paced the Texters with 17, while De Ocampo added 15. Ryan Reyes and Williams chipped in 13 each in the losing effort.

It is the first time that the Aces have won against the Texters since 2009. The Texters still have a hold of the top spot in the standings, though, with a 6-1 win-loss card, while the Aces secure the second spot with 5-2.

The scores:

ALASKA 94 - Casio 25, Baguio 16, Abueva 14, Thoss 13, Jazul 8, Baracael 6, Hontiveros 6, Espinas 4, Reyes 2, Dela Cruz 0, Belasco 0.

TALK N' TEXT 92 - Alapag 17, De Ocampo 15, Reyes 13, Williams 13, Peek 11, Castro 10, Fonacier 5, Gamalinda 3, Aban 3, Carey 2.

Quarters: 29-20, 52-45, 68-73, 94-92

alaska aces , jvee casio , talk 'n text tropang texters