Texters survive Bolts’ late rally
THE MERALCO Bolts came back from 24 points down to force an overtime period but the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters found a way to avert disaster and pulled off a thrilling 112-110 victory last night in the 38th PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
Jared Dillinger, Larry Fonacier and Jayson Castro accounted for all the Texters’ points in the extension period, delivering the needed points to key the team’s hard-earned victory.
The defending champions looked headed for an easy win when they led by as many as 24 points in the third quarter.
Although down by 24 points at the start of the fourth, the Bolts didn’t lose hope and staged blistering run that saw them tie the score at 99-all on two free throws by Jay-arr Reyes with 3.2 seconds left in the regulation.
Talk ’N Text couldn’t make a decent play in the next play that sent the game into overtime.
Meralco briefly tasted the lead at the start of overtime, 105-104, but Fonacier tied the count via a technical free throw after the Bolts were called for improper bench decorum.
This conference, the league has said it will is strictly implement the proper bench decorum rule, where only the head coach and his chief assistant coach are allowed to stand in the bench of each team.
The Bolts went up again, 106-105, but Castro buried a three-pointer then Dillinger added a long two pointers for a 110-106 Talk ’N Text lead with 1:11 left.
Mercado cut the deficit to a single point via a straight-away three pointer with 56.6 second left.
Castro was fouled in the next play and was sent to the charity stripe with 14.5 seconds remaining. Before Castro could shoot his free throws, Buenafe tied the score at 106-all on a technical free throw after the Texters were slapped with their own improper bench decorum infraction.
Castro sank his two gift shots that put the Texters on top once again.
The Texters sealed the cardiac win when they forced Mercado to shoot an off-balanced triple that didn’t even hit the ring./EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CALVIN D. CORDOVA
