Road to the Finals!

When I started this blog, I made a commitment that I will write a post after every TNT game but that commitment was not put to reality due to my other priorities. The last post I wrote was when the Talk N Text Tropang Texters suffered their first loss in the elimination round against the Alaska Aces! The team eventually finished the elimination round on top of the standings with a 12-2 win-loss record.

The road to the finals was not an easy one for the team, they went through the quarter finals round with a twice to beat advantage against the Air21 Express. Their game against the Express was nerve wracking, I thought for a second that they will have to go through the do or die game.

Then here comes the young and talented Alaska Aces team for the semifinals round. Alaska Aces is a totally different with the entry of their super rookie Calvin Abueva, they gave the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters a very good fight. A lot of people would say that the series will be over in four games but that wasn’t the case as the Aces proved to be a tough team to beat. It was definitely a beautiful series to watch with a handful of technical fouls, ejection, and sanctioned meted. At the end, it was the experience and composure of the team that won the series.

On the next - the finals, they will be up against another young and talented team – the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Having won their first ever championship trophy in the Governor’s Cup, the E-Painters are highly motivated to add another championship trophy to their collection. They are also wanted to prove to everybody that they can go all the way to the finals without an import.

These two teams will definitely try to do everything to get to be called the “champions” once again. For the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, they are aiming for 3-peat that will enable them to take home prestigious Jun Bernardino trophy while the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters want to show that they are for real and not just a fluke.

As for the coaches, Norman Black is looking for his 11th PBA championships while Yeng Giuao wants to complete his collection with an All Fipino trophy.

Game one of the best of seven series will kick off on January 8, 2012 at the Smart Araneta Colisuem.

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That First Loss!

I call it breaks of the game! Every team went through that same kind of experience. The goal tending call turned things around but I am not bitter about it. The important thing was that we played good and honest basketball. That game was never meant to be ours! We will be better next time around. 

Coach Norman drew a perfect plan and the players executed it very well, it’s just unfortunate that the ball went in and out of the rim allowing the Alaska Aces to escape with a two-point victory and blemished the perfect record of Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters. I have to give credits to the Aces for giving the fans a good game, this team is going to be a tough team to beat especially now that their super rookie is playing consistently. 

Jimmy Alapag led the team with his 17 points and played a crucial role during their third quarter rally allowing them to take the lead going into the final canto. They had the lead for the most part of the fourth quarter only to bow down in the last two minutes of the game. That final shot of JVee Casio against the extended arms of Kelly Williams ended the winning streak of the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters. 

On a positive note, five other players from the team scored in twin digits. It means that there’s no particular player who will carry the load in their every game. Anybody can explode at any given time and they are showing that they play as a team. 

Their next game will be this coming November 07 at 7:30PM against Petron Blaze Boosters in Smart Araneta Coliseum. It’s going to be another exciting game as both teams coming from a tough loss. Petron would want to bounce back after an embarrassing loss against Air21 Express.

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On A Hot Winning Streak

Everybody knows that Jayson Castro is now the face of the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters. He brings excitement and quickness to the team whenever he is on the court. He is just so quick that it is hard for his opponents to keep him in check. He’s instrumental in all of their 5 wins, however, he injured his hand during their last game against the Barako Bull Energy Cola as a result he did not suit up during their game against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Negros Occidental. 

A lot of people said that Talk ‘N Text’s offense is so different without Jayson Castro and I do have to agree. There’s no quickness in their offense, it’s as if their dribble-drive game is just not there. True that Jayson is an important piece of the team but basketball is not just a one man show, it’s a team sport and even without their reliable scorer, the team was able to notch their 6th win in as many games. 

The team didn’t really have a perfect offensive night as they struggled to make some baskets. Their free throws weren’t there either. Larry Fonacier, a known steady free throw shooter missed a lot of free throws including the last two that left a small hope for the Rain or Shine to tie the game. Good thing they were able to make a good defensive stop on JR Quiñahan in the next possession. 

Both teams struggled all night, I am not sure if it’s the defense or just the fact that they were playing in a different venue. Jeff Chan, the league leading scorer only scored 4 points in his 28 minutes of play. Jervy Cruz made up for the lack luster performance of their top scorer by scoring 14 points along with 12 boards. Jimmy Alapag led all scorers with his 15 points and 7 assists. 

Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters next opponent is the Alaska Aces this coming November 02, 2012 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Game time is 7:30PM. The Aces are also on a hot winning streak thanks to their super rookie Calvin Abueva.

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Five and Counting!

To an avid fan, it is such a joy to see your favorite team leading in the standings in the early stages of the Philippine Cup. Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, the defending champions is looking for a 3 peat for them to keep the Jun Bernadino trophy for good. Looking at their win-loss record right now, the goal is just within reach. It looks like the guys are very comfortable with the new system of their new head coach because they haven’t lost a single game since the opening of the conference. 

They just notched their fifth straight win last night at the expense of the Barako Bull Energy Cola. It was a low scoring ball game with both teams trying to limit their opponent’s offensive weapons with their suffocating defense. Norman Black known as a defense oriented mentor wanted his troop to be known not just as a good offensive but a good defensive team as well and they just showed it last night. 

The game was tied at 77 when Jayson Castro hit a crucial three point shot off the pass of Jimmy Alapag, the shot was the final basket. The texters then applied a good and honest defense throughout the remainder of the game. Even though he injured his left hand early in the first period, Jay Castro led the scoring load of the team with 15 points. Larry Fonacier and Ali Peek were also in double digit scoring 13 and 10 points apiece. 

Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters next assignment is the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, who’s also on winning streak after a come from behind win against the San Mig Coffee Mixers. The game will be played at Victorias City, Negros Occidental this coming October 27, 2012. Game time is 6:30 in the evening. 

TNT nation let’s keep the faith and hopefully we can make it to six in a row!

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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!

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Jimmy "The Mighty Mouse" Alapag Interview

From the time that he was drafted 10th overall pick by the Talk ‘N Text in 2003, I have been a fan of Jimmy Alapag. With his impressive debut in the Philippine basketball scene, he eventually won Rookie of the Year that year beating out the first overall pick Mike Cortez and his team mate fourth overall pick Harvey Carey for the award. His on-court partnership with former MVP Asi Taulava slowly changed the fate of the struggling Talk ‘N Text Phone Pals. The two of them made beautiful music together on the floor. Their tandem was probably one of the best and strongest the PBA had every seen for years.

Over the years, his game has been moving one notch higher, a testament to that is his MVP plum last year. Though he has been in the league for 9 years now, Jimmy Alapag still remains one of the deadliest point guards in the PBA. He is deadly in the 3-point line and can score too in the shaded lane. 

Though one of the smallest guys in the PBA today, he has a huge heart when it comes to playing basketball. His leadership on and off the court has made Talk N’ Text a dominant team in the PBA today.

Video credit to talkntexttv

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