PBA: Texters stay perfect, defeat Ginebra for first q'finals berth

 

The Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters repelled a late comeback bid from Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 94-87, and became the first team to clinch a quarterfinals berth in the 2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup, Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Ranidel De Ocampo posted 28 points and five rebounds and went 4-of-7 from the arc to lead the Texters. Richard Howell added 19 points and 23 rebounds. Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes each had 11 points, while getting seven assists and three rebounds, respectively. Larry Fonacier notched 10 points.

"I think my team played good defense today and did what we wanted to do which is to take the ball out of the hands of [LA] Tenorio and [Mark] Caguioa and make other people beat us," said coach Norman Black. The Texters don't play again for another seven days, and Black said his players deserved a day off.

Ginebra made a late 16-4 run in the fourth to make it a two-possession game with under a minute left, but Larry Fonacier bailed out the Texters with a triple with 29 seconds remaining, 92-85. Ginebra was denied a chance to further eat into the lead, as they turned the ball over after a timeout that led to a layup for Ranidel De Ocampo on the other end.

Talk 'N Text's current 6-0 standing is the franchise's best start in any import conference they've played. Meanwhile, Ginebra (2-3) have lost three of their last four games, and slide to a three-way tie at fifth with Air21 and Alaska.

Ranidel De Ocampo's hot shooting performance catapulted the Texters to a 19-9 lead midway through the first quarter. Ginebra, who initially subsided on breakaway layups after the Texters' makes, began to force turnovers and space the floor better, as Mark Caguioa and Mac Baracael spearheaded a 17-5 run. But a couple of late drives by Jayson Castro kept TNT afloat, 28-26.
 
Talk 'N Text carried their hot shooting into the second quarter, as De Ocampo and Ryan Reyes forged ahead against a Ginebra squad unable to find their stroke. Ginebra's physical play tacked three personal fouls on Richard Howell midway through the quarter and they slowly chipped away inside, but they couldn't get the lead to below eight points. At halftime, the Texters led 52-40.

Ginebra relied on Leon Rodgers to penetrate and score after the break, but on the other end, they gave up too many transition buckets that kept them behind. The Texters leaned on inside scoring for most of the frame, keeping at least a three-possession lead before ending the frame with a 76-65 advantage.

Jimmy Alapag's playmaking steered the Texters to a 16-point lead early in the fourth, 85-69, but Rodgers made a three-pointer to mark a palpable shift in Ginebra's favor. Ginebra followed up with a Greg Slaughter slam, and drew a flagrant one foul off De Ocampo to bench him while Rodgers and Slaughter took turns assaulting the basket, 87-81.

The Texters, despite missing shots inside, crashed the offensive glass to keep possessions alive and drain the clock. Finally, De Ocampo came through on a drive to end the drought, 89-81. Rodgers and LA Tenorio went full bore at the rim to cut the lead to four, but failed to close out Larry Fonacier on the right wing, and conceded a triple with 29 seconds left, 92-85. Before Ginebra could reply, Tenorio blew a pass that resulted in a breakaway hoop for De Ocampo on the other end, 94-85, to put the game out of reach.
 
Talk 'N Text went 38-of-87 (43.7 percent) from the field, while Ginebra shot 32-of-76 (42.1 percent). The Texters led in rebounding (54-44), assists (26-16) and fast break points (21-8).

Leon Rodgers led Ginebra with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Mark Caguioa put up 14 points and 11 rebounds. Mac Baracael added 13 points. - RAF, GMA News

The scores:

TALK 'N TEXT 94 - De Ocampo 28, Howell 19, Castro 11, Reyes Ry. 11, Fonacier 10, Williams 8, Canaleta 4, Alapag 3, Reyes Ro. 0, Baclao 0, Carey 0.

GINEBRA 87 - Rodgers 32, Caguioa 14, Baracael 13, Tenorio 9, Slaughter 8, Aguilar 5, Ellis 2, Reyes 2, Helterbrand 2.

Quarters: 28-26, 52-40, 76-65, 94-87