First Game: No Problem

Even if I wanted to watch the first game of Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters on TV, my work doesn’t allow me to do so. Game starts at 5:15PM but my off from work is not until 6PM, on top of that I need to travel approximately 30 minutes before reaching home. So I just watch the first half of the game through online streaming. What I don’t like about online streaming is that it keeps on buffering every now and then. Well anyways, here’s what I have observed from my beloved team in the PBA…

Right off the bat, the team did not have a problem getting the ball to the rim. The offense was there right from the first possession. All starting five players were able to contribute, enabling the team to put an early double digit lead. Their defense was also good as they were able to hold down the offense of the Meralco Bolts. That’s one of the best things about having the same line-up from the previous season because there’s no adjustments needed and players know each other very well.

Going into the second quarter, the team is still leading but Meralco Bolts is slowly picking up their offense. They were able to cut the lead down to 10 points at one point. That’s probably the last sequence I’ve seen from the game since I was already heading out of work. Good thing when I got home, I heard a good news from Mico Halili and Kenneth Duremdes (AKTV Center’s hosts) that Talk ‘N Text won via overtime.

Well it was quite a surprised that the game went to overtime considering that they were leading by as much as 16 points in the second quarter. Well, a win is still a win! So I’ll take that one. As what I have learned from the hosts, the Tropang Texters squandered a 24-point lead in the third quarter allowing the Meralco Bolts to send the game into overtime. Good thing though, Talk ‘N Text showed their championship poise during the extension period beating the retooled Meralco Bolts by only two points.

Jared Dillinger had an impressive night chipping in 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. He was not alone though as six other players from the team scored in double digits. Harvey Carey also became the 38th member of the 2000 defensive rebounds club. Jayson Castro handled the back court task since Jimmy Alapag was not able to play due to a calf injury. Interestingly, all players that Coach Nash fielded in were able to score. A total team effort, I must say!

Kudos to Coach Nash for the great game and first getting the first win as a PBA coach!

Let’s keep the faith!