MANILA, Philippines—Defending champion Talk ‘N Text set the tone early to overwhelm Barako Bull, 108-90, Monday night and knot their best-of-five semifinals series in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Ranidel de Ocampo scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the first half where the Tropang Texters got off to a fast start and never looked back.
“All we did was tie the series, we can’t celebrate not for one minute, we can’t be satisfied, we need to get one more game,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes, whose squad forged a do-or-die Game 5 on Wednesday in the same venue.
“Game 5 is going to be an all-out war and I just hope we can come out with the same kind of energy and focus that we came out tonight,” Reyes added.
TNT put the game away in the third quarter as it padded on to its first-half lead of 13 to as much as 29, 80-51, on a Kelly Williams triple at the 4:16 mark.
Efficient also at the defensive end, the Texters held the Energy to just 36 percent from the field as they clamped down on Barako’s key players.
Import Gabe Freeman was held to his lowest output in 59 games since 2009 with six points on one-of-nine shooting from the field.
Danny Seigle had 20 points but shot poorly as he missed 12 of his 18 attempts from the field.
All Talk ‘N Text players scored in the game. Donnell Harvey, Jared Dillinger and Jayson Castro added 12 points each in limited minutes.