After suffering back-to-back defeats, the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters finally recovered, scoring a much-needed 99-92 fight-marred win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last night in Game 4 of their best-of-seven finals series of the 40th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
Ranidel de Ocampo fired a career-high tying 33 points, helping the Tropang Texters tie the series at two games apiece.
Interestingly, last night’s game yielded the same final score in Game 1, which Talk ‘N Text also won, 99-92. Rain or Shine won Game 2, 116-108, as well as Game 3, 109-97.
De Ocampo poured 13 of his total output in the third period, where Talk ‘N Text started to build double digit leads.
De Ocampo and Jayson Castro each scored seven points in a 19-9 run that pushed Talk ‘N Text to its biggest lead of the night, 63-50.
Talk ‘N Text stayed in control of the match despite the fracas that broke out early in the fourth.
With Talk ‘N Text ahead, 80-72, trouble started in the 9:47 mark when Talk ‘N Text’s Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Rain or Shine’s Jireh Ibañez figured in a scuffle while positioning for a rebound.
The scuffle was ignited when Ibañez pulled Rosser to the baseline. The Talk ‘N Text guard tried to break free from Ibañez, who refused to let go. Rosser was stripped off of his jersey when he pushed Ibañez to the stands. Cebuano JR Quiñahan made things worse when he threw the ball at Rosser’s face.
Some players from both squads tried to go at each other before officials managed to step in.
The incident led to the ejections of Rosser, Ibañez and Quiñahan.
Castro, who won the Best Player of the Conference ward, finished with 25 points for the Texters.
Chris Tiu led Rain or Shine with a career-high 21 points, while Wayne Chism, who was named the conference’s Best Import, played limited minutes due to foul trouble and scored just 13.