Talk N’ Text tries to maintain its playoff surge in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Friday when the Tropang Texters shoot for a 2-0 lead against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their best-of-seven title series at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Texters go into the 7 p.m. tussle favored to stretch their unbeaten playoff run to five counting victories in the last three games of the Purefoods Final Four series where they closed out the erstwhile defending champion Star Hotshots, 3-1.
It was actually the spirit and intensity level they had in that series that coach Jong Uichico wants to see from his wards, who won, 99-92, in the series opener on Wednesday night but hardly put a smile in the face of their coach.
“We just have to be ready to play on Friday (in Game 2),” Uichico said. “I am happy that we won, but I am not satisfied with the way we played.”
Considering that only two players scored in twin digits for Rain or Shine, and that the Elasto Painters missed 15 free throws and had nine more turnovers in Game 1, Uichico surely feels that Talk ‘N Text should have dominated with impunity on Wednesday.
“If we had taken care of the ball better and made some more free throws, it would have been different,” Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao told reporters after the Game 1 defeat, which kept the Elasto Painters winless against the Texters in eight playoff clashes dating back to 2013.
“We just need something to break the ice,” Guiao said.
Talk ‘N Text blanked Rain or Shine, 4-0, in the 2013 Philippine Cup and then scored a 3-0 sweep in the Final Four here last year, and the Game 1 win only validates that mastery by the Texters.
Wayne Chism scored 34 points and Paul Lee 14 and were the only ones in twin digits for Guiao.
“We have to find ways to make our free throws and find solutions to the turnovers we committed,” Guiao said. “I think we played pretty decent defensively.
Rain or Shine did a decent job in holding Jason Castro down, but Ranidel de Ocampo got away with 24 and import Ivan Johnson had his usual numbers in leading the dominant Texters.