Talk ’N Text fights back to tie series at 1-all

Game Today:

(Mall of Asia Arena)

6:45 p.m. – San Mig Coffee vs Alaska

Ranidel De Ocampo hit a triple with 33.7 seconds left last night that helped Talk ‘N Text put away Barangay Ginebra, 85-79, for a 1-1 tie in their Cebuana Lhuillier PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four series before the tournament’s biggest crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

That triple was the first such basket by any Tropang Texters outside of Jimmy Alapag in the series, and it proved to be the biggest bucket of the night as Talk ‘N Text avoided being buried into a 0-2 hole only three other teams in the past have been able to climb out of.

Talk ‘N Text looked like it was ready to fade after the third period, but a swashbuckling 12-0 opening to the fourth got the Texters the momentum they needed before out-steadying the hard-fighting Gin Kings in another tight finish.

“Today, we came out with more intensity, more effort on defense,” Talk ‘N Text coach Norman Black said. “Our defense was sorely missing in the last game.”

Playing on borrowed time after picking up his fifth foul with still five minutes left, De Ocampo actually had a three-point play off Kerby Raymund with 4:33 remaining, which ushered the Texters ahead to stay, 76-75.

Ginebra, which blew the Texters off the floor in Game 1, 104-81, actually failed to score in the final 2:30 after import Vernon Macklin shoved the Gin Kings to within 79-80 with a power move off Jerome Jordan.

“Today was a do-or-die game for us,” Black said. “We knew that if we got down 0-2, we were going to be in trouble. You can understand the importance of trying to tie up the series.”

Jason Castro tossed in 22 points, Alapag fired 17 while de Ocampo added 16. Jordan had a respectable 14-point and 12-rebound output for the Texters, who played minus Kelly Williams, Ali Peek and Jared Dilinger.

Game 3 of this series will be played on May 8 after the All-Star Week in Digos, Davao del Sur.

Today, defending champion San Mig Coffee  shoots for a 2-0 lead against Alaska in their own semis series.