Jason Castro of Talk N Text (dark) vs SOl Mercado, Jay Washington and Rudy Lingganayof GlobalPort (light). Nuki Sabio/PBA
MANILA, Philippines — Defending champion Talk ‘N Text rode on a strong start and never looked back to shut down GlobalPort, 106-93, in the 2014 PLDT MyDSL Philippine CupTuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Larry Fonacier led six TNT players in double-digit scoring with 18 points, including a put back that made it 91-68, while veteran playmaker Jimmy Alapag had 17 points on eight-of-eight shooting at the free throw line.
“It’s a good feeling having more offensive weapons tonight with Danny Seigle coming in and Ranidel de Ocampo coming back from injury,” said Talk ‘N Text head coach Norman Black. “It really gives us the opportunity to have a well-rounded offensive game.”
“We played well tonight except for the end where we relaxed a little bit just like what we did at the end of the second quarter but we played well enough to win the basketball game and at this point that’s all that really matters at this point,” added Black.
Danny Seigle scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his Tropang Texters debut while National team mainstay Ranidel de Ocampo chipped in three points and seven boards in limited minutes in his return from injury.
TNT, which improved to 3-1, got off to a fast start — scoring 34 points in the first quarter — en route to a 64-51 lead at halftime, the most points by any team this season so far.
The Tropang Texters put the clamps down on Batang Pier super rookie Terrence Romeo as well as the former Far Eastern U star was held to just three-of-13 shooting for a hard earned 16 points with most of his output coming from the free throw line.
Romeo, who is averaging 24.7 points per game and is coming off a 27-point outburst in GlobalPort’s close loss to Barangay Ginebra last Thursday, went without a field goal in the first half and missed seven of his 16 attempts at the stripe.
Alapag also had six assists, with his first dish making him just the ninth player in league history to have at least 3,000 assists, according to PBA head statistician Fidel Mangonon.
“It’s a credit to my family, my wife, and of course the franchise and all the players that I had an opportunity to play with,” said Alapag, who turns 36 this month.
Jay Washington paced GlobalPort, which fell to 1-3, with 21 points.