Danny Siegle of Talk N’ Text vs Sol Mercado of Ginebra. PBA
TALK N’ Text shook away the championship high and took care of business against crowd darlings Ginebra, 95-91, to start their PBA Governor’s Cup campaign on a good note Sunday evening at Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Just days removed from their Commissioner’s Cup triumph, the Texters donned their jerseys and punched their time cards to clutch.
Talk N’ Text went on an 11-0 run that gave them a 10-point lead 94-84 with import Steffphon Pettifrew rising up for a big block on Orlando Johnson and splitting his free throws with 1:27 remaining.
Yet it was the Texters’ defense, with some help from Lady Luck, that sealed their victory.
Leading 95-91 with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth, the Texters managed to hold off three straight field goal attempts from Ginebra.
Mark Caguioa shot a three-pointer from the left wing but missed. Import Orlando Johnson grabbed the offensive board but his shot also bricked. Dave Marcelo shot his own, after an offensive rebound, but the ball only managed to touch the inside of the rim before spinning out.
Texters head coach Jong Uichico reminded his players not to be complacent and urged them to play hard after winning the Commissioner’s Cup title against Rain or Shine.
And that reminder worked.
“We played hard today,” Uichico said. “We didn’t have that championship hangover.”
“We all have to be professional and mentally tough to defy that human immaturity of relaxing.”
After falling down 94-84, Ginebra went on a 7-0 run in the final minute with Josh Urbiztondo scoring five straight points cutting the deficit to 94-91 with 21.3 seconds left in the fourth.
“I didn’t see any [instances where the players relaxed]; we turned the ball over in crucial times…,” Uichico said.
Both teams were undermanned with Talk N’ Text playing without Jayson Castro, Ranidel De Ocampo, Aaron Aban, and Kevin Alas who were all nursing injuries.
Ginebra lacked their starting frontline of Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, and Chris Ellis.
Pettigrew led the Texters with 33 points, 12 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.
Danny Seigle came off the bench to add 14 points while Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Asian import Sam Daghlas added 13 and 12 points respectively for Talk N’ Text.
Johnson once again went crazy with 46 points to go along with 13 rebounds for Ginebra.
He started his PBA career scoring 50 points.
The scores:
TALK N’ TEXT 95 – Pettigrew 33, Seigle 14, Rosser 13, Daghles 12, Washington 7, Fonacier 6, Carey 5, Miller 5, Williams 0.
GINEBRA 91 – Johnson 46, Mercado 13, Tenorio 10, Caguioa 6, Urbiztondo 5, Marcelo 4, Brondial 4, Baracael 3, Pena 0, Helterbrand 0.
Quarters: 27-22, 53-48, 72-71, 95-91