PBA: Reyes' late triple lifts Texters over Aces in semis game one

(Updated 7:56pm) Needing a score late, Jayson Castro found Ryan Reyes all alone in the corner, and the normally defense-first guard delivered.

Reyes' triple turned out to be the game-winner, as the defense of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters held firm on the next possession to eke out a 66-65 win over the Alaska Aces, Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, in the first of a seven game semifinals series between these two clubs.

[Review the play-by-play of this game here]

Talk 'N Text is looking for a third straight championship in the Philippine Cup, while the Alaska Aces are on the rebound from a disastrous 2011-12 season.

"The ball wasn't for Ryan [Reyes] but the good thing was he was able to step up and take the shot," said Talk 'N Text head coach Norman Black after the game.

TNT had entered the fourth quarter trailing for the first time in the ball game, but they held the Aces to without a score in the final two and a half minutes en route to the win.

Trailing by two, coach Black called a timeout with 37 seconds to go. Castro, who had been sensational on offense all throughout the night, drew a triple-team from the Alaska defenders, allowing him to zip a pass to Reyes on the left corner. That make was good for a 66-65 Texters advantage with 14.3 seconds left.

Alaska called their timeout and looked to steal the game on the last possession. Jvee Casio drew Talk 'N Text's foul to give on the initial inbounds. Then on the next play, Tony Dela Cruz flared to the free throw line and launched a fadeaway attempt that fell to the left of the rim. Talk 'N Text then secured the loose ball and dribbled out the clock to notch the first of four required wins to advance to the next round.

Castro finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and two assists.

In the first quarter, Sonny Thoss scored twice down low, while the Aces forced TNT to struggle and miss open looks in the first five minutes of the game. Their success was short-lived though as Ranidel De Ocampo nailed consecutive triples to get his team on track. TNT rolled out a 14-3 run, with De Ocampo and Larry Fonacier combining for 10, to take a 15-9 lead.

Alaska's offense limped towards the end of the first. They scored five points on two field goals, both by Dondon Hontiveros, in the last eight minutes of the quarter. On the other end of the court, Harvey Carey nailed a midrange jumper with a second remaining to give TNT a 17-11 edge after the first period.

Gabby Espinas carried the Aces with his hustle plays in the second quarter, but Jayson Castro scored eight straight points, including two triples, to keep Alaska at bay, 25-19.

The Aces battled through the Talk n' Texters' tough defense and brought the lead down to three midway through the quarter, 27-24, on a one-hander by Mac Baracael. However, TNT's effort on the offensive glass gave them extra possessions to convert into points, allowing them to lead by as much as eight.

Thoss was active anew for the Aces in the last three minutes, but his team couldn't follow his lead. On the other hand, De Ocampo scored TNT's last five points, giving them a 34-28 lead. By halftime, he led all scorers with 11 points, including three makes from beyond the arc.

After the break, Alaska made some headway as TNT were unable to score from the field in the first seven minutes. The Aces drew 10 combined points from Thoss and RJ Jazul in an 11-6 run to draw within one, 40-39, 4:52 remaining in the period.

TNT got their first basket of the quarter off a drive by Larry Fonacier, and they responded in a huge way as five straight points by Jimmy Alapag comprised a 7-0 run, making it 47-39.

In response, Alaska's key players waxed hot at the right time, as Cyrus Baguio scored in the lane to instigate a 9-0 run to end the quarter, capped by Calvin Abueva putting back his own miss. That made it Alaska's lead anew, 50-47, with a quarter left to play.

Second-year point guard Jvee Casio, who had been held scoreless thus far, opened the fourth period with six straight points for the Aces. But the Talk 'N Texters kept in stride, as Castro and Harvey Carey whittled away at the staunch Alaska defense, 58-56, 4:46 left to play.

Talk 'N Text refused to allow the Aces to pull away. A Cyrus Baguio triple had the Alaska lead back up to five, but Jimmy Alapag responded in kind with his own triple. Abueva scored on a follow, but the Texters went down to Ali Peek who scored two. On the other end though, Abueva was irrepressible, canning a corner jumper to make it 65-61 at the 2:36 mark of the payoff period.

On the next possession, Larry Fonacier was fouled as he scored on a lay-up, but last season's Philippine Cup Finals MVP failed to convert the bonus attempt, setting up the game's final sequence.

The game could have been much closer for the Aces, as they made only 5-of-11 attempts, or 45.5 percent from the free throw line. In contrast, TNT converted 13 of their 20 attempts, or 65 percent.

Ranidel De Ocampo, hero of TNT's quarterfinals game versus Air21, added 11 points, while Larry Fonacier, Harvey Carey and Jimmy Alapag each scored eight markers. 

Alaska was led by Sonny Thoss, who posted a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Reserve guard RJ Jazul came off the bench with 11 points, including three triples, while Calvin Abueva scored just 10 points in his first semifinals game, but hauled in 17 rebounds.

Game two is set for Friday at the SM MOA Arena. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:


Quarter scoring: 17-11, 34-28, 47-50, 66-65