After groping for form early in the series, the Talk N Text Tropang Texters have suddenly found all the answers and now stand a win away from the title after they walloped the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 103-94, in Game 5 of the best-of-seven finals series of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup last night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Texters once trailed in the series, 1-2, but have since turned the tables on their opponents to take a 3-2 lead. They will try to wrap the series up in Game 6 tomorrow.
The Texters got huge games from their frontcourt of Ivan Johnson and Ranidel de Ocampo, who had 27 points apiece, but it was rookie guard Kevin Alas who once again played beyond his years as he hit a runner in the lane with under a minute to go to seal the crucial victory for the Manny Pangilinan-owned squad.
Jayson Castro, the conference’s Best Player, had 15 points and nine assists while Larry Fonacier added 12 points and seven rebounds.
In spite of the win, Talk ’N Text head coach Jong Uichico refused to get ahead of himself and remained optimistically cautious for the next game.
“It’s good to win but it’s not yet over,” he said. “We need four wins to win [the title].”
Talk ‘N Text had full control of the game, at one point leading by 20 markers but the gritty Elasto Painters got back late in the game until Alas sealed the win with his shot.