The hottest team in the season-ending meet lost grip of an 86-74 lead in the final 2:32 of a Phoenix Fuel PBA on tour at the Batangas City Sports Center after missing 10 straight free throws – four of them by import Shawn Daniels.
But just when the Kings threatened at 86-84 on Sunday Salvacion’s back-to-back three-pointers with 63 seconds left, the Tropang Texters lived up to the challenge and converted 6-of-6 from the foul line to seal games outcome.
Jimmy Alapag suffered cramps at the end of the contest but not after finishing with a team-high 21 points and seven assists, including four straight free throws that finally stopped Ginebra’s big endgame rally.
The Tropang Texters’ 11th straight win – the longest this tournament – enabled them to break out of a tie for the lead with defending champion San Miguel. Talk ‘N Text occupies the top spot with a 12-2 record.
It was also the team’s sixth straight victory since acquiring Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes in a trade with Sta. Lucia as it closes in to one of two outright semifinals berths.
“We have to recover this game. It really took a lot out of us," said coach Chot Reyes. “I think we need at least one more win to be assured of a semis playoff, pero para sure we need two more."
The Kings fell to 8-6 with the loss spoiling Denham Brown’s league debut. Ginebra’s new import paced the crowd darlings with 25 points.
Scores:
Talk N' Text 92 – Alapag 21, Cardona 14, Carey 14, De Ocampo 13, Daniels 9, Reyes 8, Dillinger 6, Williams 3, Castro 3, Yee 0.
Ginebra 84 – Brown 25, Caguioa 15, Hatfield 12, Salvacion 9, De Ocampo 6, Miller 6, Villanueva 5, Wilson 4, Intal 2, Cruz 0, Helterbrand 0.
Quarter scores: 22-16, 45-37, 67-60, 92-84.
But it was also Brown, the 6-foot-6 former UConn member that won the 2004 U.S NCAA title, who caused the Kings’ downfall.
With exhaustion and fatigue overcoming him, Brown missed on a crucial drive inside the final minute and the Kings trailing, 88-84.
After Alapag knocked in two free throws at the other end to make it a six-point Talk ‘N Text lead, Brown again failed to buy a basket that all but clinched the win for the Tropang Texters.
MacMac Cardona had 15 points for Talk `N Text while Harvey Carey and Ranidel De Ocampo chipped 14 and 13 each.
Mark Caguioa was the top local scorer for Ginebra with 14 while Rudy Hatfield had a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Kings trailed by as many as 15 several times in the game, the last of which was at 65-50 with 4:52 left in the third, before Caguioa rallied Ginebra back to cut the deficit to 67-60 entering the pivotal fourth. – JVP, GMANews.TV
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