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Texters seek no. 4
By: Zean Macamay, Journal Online
TALK ‘N Text conquered last season’s Philippine Cup with offense. Winning the tournament again looks promising, but the
approach now has been dramatically different.
The team that likes to score before now loves to defend and limit its opponents to surprisingly low productions. It’s the
Texters’ favorite weapon these days, and tonight, they’ll get the chance to test whether their defense is for real.
“Well, we have San Miguel next, and to me, that will be the real test in our defense,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes after
the defending champion whipped the all-Filipino champion before them, Sta. Lucia Realty, Sunday, 100-83.
The Texters are one of only two teams that have remained undefeated in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup, the other being
Alaska. The difference, though, is that the Aces have already met the Beermen and prevailed (85-74) in a low-scoring
contest Talk ‘N Text surely would want to replicate.
Game time is at 7:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum after Rain or Shine once more seeks its first win in the tournament
against Barako Bull.
No team has ever come close in engaging the Texters in a close game. The team eyeing to become the first to repeat as all-
Filipino champs in two-and-a-half decades has been winning by wide margins – 19.6 points in three games to be exact –
without necessarily sacrificing much on their vaunted scoring might.
The stats will prove how significant Talk ‘N Text got better on defense: Through three games, it choked its enemies to an
average production of 76 points, and no ball club has managed so far to shoot above the 40 percent line against them.
So formidable are the Texters on defense that the best shooting percentage an opponent could come up with was at 35.3
done by the Elasto Painters. In all, Talk ‘N Text has been holding down ball clubs to 35 percent shooting.
Yet the time has come for the Texters to face the real challenge. The Beermen may not be off to a good start, but everything
else remains that they have the most talented and experienced line-up which can click in two ways – explode on offense or
dead-on in defense.
The worse that can happen to the Texters is for those two to work at the same time.
San Miguel Beer coach Siot Tanquingcen still thinks that Talk ‘N Text’s offense remains as its strongest component, and
has already made up his mind that for them to deal Talk ‘N Text its first loss, defense will have to step up.
“We have to lessen their productivity,” said Tanquingcen. “And that will have to come defensively aside from that fact that we
have to control the boards.”
San Miguel hasn’t been playing to pre-tournament projections. The Fiesta Conference champion at one point was one of the
teams down at the cellar of the standings before pulling through with a masterful 117-99 victory over Burger King.
That was the best performance the Beermen delivered so far. It snapped a two-game losing skid, which might be the only
thing they need to kick-off victories in clusters.
Yet the key factor in that game, and perhaps the one San Miguel needs against the Texters tonight, was their perimeter
shooting. The 18-time champion shot a blazing 12-for-28 at the three-point area – four each from Arwind Santos and Mick
Pennisi.
By: Zean Macamay, Journal Online
TALK ‘N Text conquered last season’s Philippine Cup with offense. Winning the tournament again looks promising, but the
approach now has been dramatically different.
The team that likes to score before now loves to defend and limit its opponents to surprisingly low productions. It’s the
Texters’ favorite weapon these days, and tonight, they’ll get the chance to test whether their defense is for real.
“Well, we have San Miguel next, and to me, that will be the real test in our defense,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes after
the defending champion whipped the all-Filipino champion before them, Sta. Lucia Realty, Sunday, 100-83.
The Texters are one of only two teams that have remained undefeated in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup, the other being
Alaska. The difference, though, is that the Aces have already met the Beermen and prevailed (85-74) in a low-scoring
contest Talk ‘N Text surely would want to replicate.
Game time is at 7:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum after Rain or Shine once more seeks its first win in the tournament
against Barako Bull.
No team has ever come close in engaging the Texters in a close game. The team eyeing to become the first to repeat as all-
Filipino champs in two-and-a-half decades has been winning by wide margins – 19.6 points in three games to be exact –
without necessarily sacrificing much on their vaunted scoring might.
The stats will prove how significant Talk ‘N Text got better on defense: Through three games, it choked its enemies to an
average production of 76 points, and no ball club has managed so far to shoot above the 40 percent line against them.
So formidable are the Texters on defense that the best shooting percentage an opponent could come up with was at 35.3
done by the Elasto Painters. In all, Talk ‘N Text has been holding down ball clubs to 35 percent shooting.
Yet the time has come for the Texters to face the real challenge. The Beermen may not be off to a good start, but everything
else remains that they have the most talented and experienced line-up which can click in two ways – explode on offense or
dead-on in defense.
The worse that can happen to the Texters is for those two to work at the same time.
San Miguel Beer coach Siot Tanquingcen still thinks that Talk ‘N Text’s offense remains as its strongest component, and
has already made up his mind that for them to deal Talk ‘N Text its first loss, defense will have to step up.
“We have to lessen their productivity,” said Tanquingcen. “And that will have to come defensively aside from that fact that we
have to control the boards.”
San Miguel hasn’t been playing to pre-tournament projections. The Fiesta Conference champion at one point was one of the
teams down at the cellar of the standings before pulling through with a masterful 117-99 victory over Burger King.
That was the best performance the Beermen delivered so far. It snapped a two-game losing skid, which might be the only
thing they need to kick-off victories in clusters.
Yet the key factor in that game, and perhaps the one San Miguel needs against the Texters tonight, was their perimeter
shooting. The 18-time champion shot a blazing 12-for-28 at the three-point area – four each from Arwind Santos and Mick
Pennisi.