INQUIRER Sports

SINGAPORE—After thirteen games under his watch and just two weeks after a humiliating beating, Chot Reyes is now convinced that he has a good team in Talk ‘N Text.

The Tropang Texters, seemingly in tatters early in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup, brought down a second straight heavyweight in San Miguel, 85-80, Sunday night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium here to claim a piece of third place heading into the crucial stages of the elimination round.

“I told my players (before the game) that what makes a good team is the ability to string together big games,” Reyes said after TNT rose to 7-6 before an appreciative crowd made up mostly of Filipino workers here.

“The standings are not the only thing that’s important.”

Before flying over, the Texters ripped defending champion Sta. Lucia Realty apart, 104-82, a victory that came just days after taking a 26-point loss at the hands of Alaska which started all sorts of bad talk about the team.

“At this point (of the tournament), we are very happy at where we are,” Reyes added as his boys moved within half-a-game of the second-running Beermen, now 8-6, to further tighten the race for the two outright semifinal berths.

Idle Rain or Shine and the Realtors also have 7-6 slates while the Aces lead at 9-4, making the final weeks of the elimination an interesting race among at least five teams.

Jimmy Alapag, the smallest man on the floor, was at the forefront of two sizzling runs in the second half, the last one finally chopping down the Beermen.

Alapag drilled in four triples, the last touching off a 9-0 spurt that had the Texters scampering away to a 73-64 lead with 3:31 left from 64-62.

Mac-Mac Cardona also played a key role like rookie Jared Dillinger, with the unorthodox former De La Salle University ace waking up from a horrific shooting in the first half to drill in some of the shots that hurt the Beermen the most.

Cardona scored five of his 17 points inside the final 3:50, with his final basket, a leisurely-taken three-pointer from right quarter court, with 2:28 left, giving the Texters a 76-64 lead.

Dillinger, the second overall pick in the rookie draft, finished with 16 markers.

The game also almost got out of hand early in the second period when Mick Pennisi almost came to blows with Cardona after a physical play that included Ali Peek.