Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Defending champion Talk N’ Text sealed a finals showdown with B-Meg Derby Ace by disposing of the hardworking Barako Bull in their 5-game semis series.
The Texters battled past the Energy’s brute style of play to fashion out a 101-90 win in Game 5.
“This was a really, really tough game. We have no illusions, we knew Barako is a good team. They're very deep and they have a lot of veterans. They know how to win and how to play this game,” said Talk N’ Text coach Chot Reyes, who will be making his 15th finals appearance.
“In the end, I said we just have to focus on what we do well and that's to play through the physicality and play Talk N' Text basketball,” he added.
By that, Reyes meant wearing down Barako by using Talk N’ Text’s run-and-gun game.
Texters import Donnell Harvey led all scorers with 29 points, connecting on 12 of his 19 attempts from the field.
He also hauled down 14 rebounds, helping Talk N’ Text into its 5th-straight PBA finals appearance.
Harvey had to work extra hard against the Energy’s tight and sometimes physical defensive tactics in order to steer the Texters to the finals.
“It's playoffs basketball baby... they play hard, but I'm still here,” he said.
Ranidel de Ocampo and Jared Dillinger also stepped up their game as Barako clipped wingmen Jimmy Alapag and Larry Fonacier.
De Ocampo eventually finished with 18 points, while Dillinger had 14.
Gabe Freeman top scored Barako with 22 points and received additional firepower from Danny Seigle who tallied 21 points.
But the efforts of other Energy locals came up short.
Former MVP Willie Miller only had 6 points while Don Allado scored 12.
Talk N’ Text will star its finals series against B-Meg on Monday.
Reyes is expected to map out plans on beating the Llamados, who are led my multi-titled coach Tim Cone.
“We're good friends [with Cone] but in the finals, on the playing court, we're the bitterest of rivals. In the end it's really gonna be about the players, not Cone and me, but about the players.”
Box scores:
Talk N’ Text 101 - Harvey 29, De Ocampo 18, Dillinger 14, Castro 14, Williams 9, Peek 7, Alapag 6, Fonacier 3, Reyes 1, Alvarez 0.
Barako 90 - Freeman 22, Seigle 21, Tubid 18, Allado 12, Miller 6, Salvador 4, Najorda 3, Arboleda 2, Pena 2, Weinstein 0, Pennisi 0.
Quarters: 25-27, 56-47, 77-74, 101-90
Source: The Philippine Star
-- With its back against the wall, Talk n Text stayed focused and fought with determination every inch of the way, mangling Barako Bull, 108-90, and forcing a deciding Game Five in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four confrontation last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tropang Texters imposed their will early, building a 16-point bulge in the first half and dominating the Energy to the finish, thus, keeping their hopes for a title repeat in the mid-season tourney they won over the Barangay Ginebra Kings last year.
Forging a two-game deadlock in the series, the Texters battle the Energy in a do-or-die match at 6:45 p.m. tomorrow, also at the Big Dome.
Ginebra likewise tries to force a sudden death with B-Meg in their side of the semis also at 6:45 p.m. tonight at the same venue.
The Gin Kings stayed alive by stopping the Llamados, 88-79, Sunday to force a fourth game.
“I’d like to say that we beat ourselves last game by playing with little focus and awareness,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone. But when our guys come out like that, it’s on me. It’s my fault. I’ll need to have them better prepared for Game Four.”
TnT coach Chot Reyes, meanwhile, stressed the need for the Texters to focus on the task at hand.
“All we did was tied the series. We can’t celebrate, not for one minute. We can’t be satisfied. We’re just halfway there,” said Talk n Text coach Reyes.
“Hopefully, we will come out with even more energy in the next game. The same amount of energy won’t make the job done. We have to play better,” Reyes added.
After Game Three, Barako coach Junel Baculi promised they would do their best to “slay the giant in Game Four.”
The Texters, however, played every inch a champion team, smothering the Energy with their firepower and hardly giving them a chance to recover.
The match was practically over by the third period after the Texters posted leads of as many as 29 points.
They breezed through in a game they couldn’t afford to lose, completing the romp that could give them the needed momentum heading to the sudden death.
TnT forward Ranidel de Ocampo underscored the Texters gutsy stand, bucking a cut in his right eyebrow and returning to deliver huge numbers.
He went 2-of-2 from the three-point area and finished with a game-high 23 points that went with seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block against three turnovers.
For Barako, import Gabe Freeman proved to be the biggest flop in a match the Energy had hoped to hurdle, going 1-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from the stripe for his least output (six points) in a game in all his playing stints in the PBA dating back to 2009 with San Miguel Beer.
It was the first time ever, he was held to single-digit output.
The Texters came out smoking, outscoring the Energy with a 13-2 binge to built leads of as many as 16 before settling for a 55-42 spread at the turn as Barako’s Ronald Tubid hit a buzzer triple triple.
The Texters set the tone of the game early as they converted 51.5 percent of their shots as against the Energy’s 31.4-percent clip in the first two quarters.
Talk n Text was efficient on both ends, forcing Barako to 12 turnovers and scoring 13 points off those miscues in the first 24 minutes of play.
Barako enjoyed the lead just once as Freeman nailed the game’s first basket from the stripe.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Barako Bull psyched out defending champion Talk N’ Text with a highly physical game to take the series lead in their Best-of-5 semifinal showdown on Saturday’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The Energy hammered out an 85-81 victory against the Tropang Texters, who are just a game away from getting eliminated from their race to the finals.
Barako now hold a 2-1 edge against Talk N’ Text in their semis duel.
The Texters were expected to carry the momentum of their Game 2 win where they routed the Energy, 123-98.
But Barako came out with spunk and grit in Game 3, to ruin Talk N’ Text’s play.
Mick Pennisi led the Energy with 15 points through 4-of-8 shooting from the field.
He also collared 8 rebounds while outplaying Texters’ import Donnell Harvey.
“He's very tough, he's a rebounder, he's physical, I'm just a little bit longer... The last couple of games I've been on the shooting slot, luckily I hit a couple today for the team,” said Pennisi.
Barako coach Junel Baculi said the game showed which team was hungrier for the victory.
“The players showed they want to win this one… They showed it, displayed it, we got away with the lucky win,” he said.
The Energy surprised the Texters by taking the halftime lead, 42-31.
Along the way, Talk N’ Text lost Jimmy Alapag after the fleet-footed point guard got ejected from the game over an altercation with Barako’s Ronald Tubid.
Barako’s lead went as high as 21 points, but this was cut down by Talk N’ Text’s furious run in the fourth quarter.
Kelly Williams’ free throws brought the Texters at striking distance, 82-81, with 57 seconds remaining.
But Willie Miller was able to fish a foul off Harvey Carrey in the ensuing play. His charities brought the scores to 84-81.
Williams fired a potential equalizer from the rainbow territory but missed.
Pennisi went for the rebound and was awarded two free throws after a contact with Harvey.
He split his charities to make it 85-81, 26 seconds remaining.
Coach Chot Reyes drew a play for Williams, but the latter missed his undergoal stab.
This allowed Tubid to secure possession for Barako until the end of regulation.
Gabe Freeman topscored the Energy with 27, while Miller finished with 17 points.
Texters’ reinforcement Harvey got 19 points. Teammate Harvey Carey added 15 points for Talk N’ Text.
Baculi said they hope to close out the series on Monday when they again play Talk N’ Text in Game 4.
The Energy is expected to make new adjustments to keep the Texters guessing.
“We still have to go back to the drawing board, look at the tape and see what else we can adjust to win Game 4… for us the key is Game 4. If we give that to Talk N' Text on Monday, mahihirapan kami to win Game 5,” said Baculi.
Box scores:
Barako 85 - Freeman 27, Miller 17, Pennisi 15, Seigle 14, Tubid 8, Salavador 2, Pena 2, Aquino 0, Najorda 0, Allado 0, Arboleda 0.
Talk N’ Text 81 - Harvey 19, Carey 15, Alapag 14, Castro 11, Williams 7, Fonacier 7, Dillinger 3, Reyes 3, De Ocampo 2, Gamalinda 0.
Quarters: 19-17, 42-31, 67-57, 85-81
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Barako’s Ronald Tubid has been named the PBA’s Player of the Week for the period of April 2-8 after his strong effort on both ends of the floor helped the Barako Bull dispatch the Alaska Aces in the quarterfinals of the PBA Commissioners Cup.
Tubid was instrumental in Barako's victory in the best-of-three series, averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals. He made eight of his 15 three-point attempts and committed only one turnover in three games against Alaska.
"Since his amateur days pa, I have followed Ronald's career and even then, I knew na dahil sa kanyang puso and passion for the game, he will really blossom," said Barako head coach Junel Baculi on PBA.ph.
"I also knew that it was simply a matter of him being in the right team and he will eventually become a major factor. He is showing that now," he added.
In the Energy’s 106-85 Game 3 victory, Tubid scored 20 points on top of five rebounds and four assists. He had 15 points and six rebounds in Game 2, and was the topscorer with 24 points in Barako’s win in the series opener.
But Tubid's contribution extended beyond the offensive end of the court. He also helped defend Alaska's backcourt tandem of LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio, limiting the two Aces to below their season averages.
"He can and should do it on both ends of the court, because of his energy and intensity," Baculi said.
Tubid beat out B-Meg's Marc Pingris and PJ Simon for the weekly honors. Barako Bull will meet the defending champions Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters tonight for Game 1 of their best-of-five semi-final series.
Source: The Philippine Star
-- Barako Bull and B-Meg rose in their respective Easter Sunday knockout games to secure the last slots in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four.
The Energy bundled out the Alaska Milk Aces, 106-85, to set up a best-of-five semifinal showdown with the reigning champions Talk n Text Tropang Texters while the Llamados eased out the Meralco Bolts, 86-76, to advance to the next round versus the Barangay Ginebra Kings.
“I have to give credit where it is due. We have a team with an average age of about 34 to 35. They refused to give up. In Tagalog term, pinakita nilang may asim pa sila,” said Barako coach Junel Baculi.
“It’s just so nice to advance to the semis,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone.
Barako and Talk n Text meet in a rematch of their Commissioner’s Cup semis match-up last year, opening their series at 6:45 p.m. tomorrow at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
B-Meg and Ginebra, pitted in a playoff series for the first time in 15 years, start their duel Wednesday in the same venue.
Gabe Freeman erupted for 34 points and 19 rebounds in his second game with Barako, leading the Energy to a 21-point rout of the Aces watched by a crowd of 12,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Alaska coach Joel Banal anticipated Freeman’s breakout game but the Aces’ failed to find a way to stop it.
The Energy seemed to be the ones that made the right preparation for this do-or-die game, overwhelming the Aces with tremendous effort on both ends and thus earning the right to play the Texters in the semifinals.
It’s a repeat of their semis duel in the same conference last year when they were swept by the Texters. Talk n Text then had Paul Harris as import while Barako (then known as Air21) was reinforced by Alpha Bangura.
The Barako bench chieftain made special mention of their import who raised his game notches higher after a mediocre 22-point debut Wednesday.
“He recovered from jetlag. He made 34 points and 19 rebounds. What can we ask for?” said Baculi of Freeman.
“I have played for two years (two conferences) here. You know me how I play. I came out to play my game,” said Freeman, a two-time Best Import winner with San Miguel Beer.
Doing much better against the seven-foot Adam Parada, the 6-foot-5 Freeman said: “Size doesn’t matter.”
Baculi said Rodney White is out for good and they’re sticking with Freeman versus Talk n Text.
Against the Aces in their KO match, Freeman amassed 20 points right in the first half and himself spearheaded a decisive assault giving them a 55-42 lead at the turn.
The Aces charged to within four at 56-60 but the Energy regrouped quickly reestablishing a huge spread, 78-63, going into the payoff period.
And even with Freeman resting on the bench, the Energy sustained their charge in the final canto, leading by 25 at 106-81.
Ronald Tubid and Willie Miller combined for six triples and wound up with 20 points each while Danny Seigle chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds and Leo Najorda added 10 markers.
“I was surprised the way they blew us the last time and the way we came back. It’s really a product of hard work, some luck and these veterans who refused to give up,” said Baculi.
“We contained LA Tenorio, Cyrus Baguio and Mac Baracael, and that’s also a big factor,” Baculi added.
Tenorio, Baguio and Baracael were limited to 35 points together after exploding for 58 in Game Two.
Adam Parada and Sonny Thoss, meanwhile, were held down to conference-low numbers of rebounds -- seven and two, respectively.
The scores:
First Game
Barako 106 – Freeman 34, Tubid 20, Miller 20, Seigle 12, Najorda 10, Pennisi 3, Arboleda 3, Allado 2, Peña 2, Salvador 0.
Alaska 85 – Parada 18, Baguio 14, Reyes 13, Baracael 12, Custodio 9, Tenorio 9, Thoss 6, Eman 2, Gonzales 2, Salamat 0, Gelig 0.
Quarterscores: 25-24, 55-42, 78-63, 106-85
Second Game
B-Meg 86 – Bowles 28, Simon 16, Devance 15, Yap 9, Barroca 6, Pingris 6, Intal 2, Reavis 2, De Ocampo 2, Urbiztondo 0, Villanueva 0.
Meralco 76 – Mercado 27, Barron 23, Hugnatan 10, Ross 9, Macapagal 3, Cardona 2, Taulava 2, Borboran 0, Artadi 0.
Quarterscores: 21-23, 42-40, 61-67, 86-76
First game: Rain or Shine 98 def. Barako Bull 86
Box Scores:
Rain or Shine (98) – Mercado 21, Reyes 20, Chan 11, Rodriguez 10, Norwood 8, Arana 8, Tang 6, Cruz 5, Vanlandingham 3, Kramer 2, Bugia 2, Ferriols 2, Jazul 0, Ibanes 0
Barako Bull (86) – Isip 29, Juntilla 15, Bono 10, Hubalde 9, Salvacion 5, Wainwright 5, Yee, 5, Andaya 3, Cruz 2, Dimaunahan 2, Duncil 1, Thiele 0, Alonzo 0
Quarter Scores: 25-16, 53-35, 79-62, 98-86
Second game: Talk ‘N Text 93 def. Alaska 83
Box Scores:
Talk ‘N Text (93) - Castro 17, Alapag 16, Dillinger 13, Carvey 12, Williams 11, Peek 10, Fonacier 8, Reyes 6, Aban 0, Alvarez 0
Alaska (83) – Devance 23, Hugnatan 13, Thoss 12, Tenorio 11, Baguio 10, Dela Cruz 8, Custodio 4, Borboran 2, Eman 0
Quarter Scores: 28-25, 44-46, 68-70, 93-83
