Talk N’ Text, Alaska collide today

MANILA—Talk N’ Text on course toward the PBA’s fifth Grand Slam, and Alaska, the last team to pull off the feat, clash tonight to open their respective Governors Cup campaigns at the Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is 7:15 p.m. with the Tropang Texters hoping to start this tournament the way they ended the last one—with a win—even as Rain or Shine guns for the early solo lead against Air21.

All eyes will definitely be on the Texters as they unveil Maurice Baker, one of four imports in the tournament under 6-feet-2. Alaska will be bannered by a returnee in Jason Forte.

The Elasto Painters, after plastering the Derby Ace Llamados in Tacloban City last Saturday, will be looking for their second straight win against Alpha Bangura and the Express.

In a related development, the Air21 deal that bought the disbanded Barako Bull franchise finally reached the Office of the Commissioner yesterday, formally informing the league of Air21 owner Bert Lina’s intent to purchase a second PBA team.

There were no attachments in the formal notice, and commissioner Chito Salud could not confirm the reported “more than P50 million” price tag of the Barako Bull franchise.

The matter will be included in the agenda of today’s emergency board meeting which was originally intended to tackle the television coveror issue after TV5, the only bidder for the rights, reduced its original P917 million offer to P800 million for five years.

If approved by the board, the deal will make Lina the third man to own at least two teams in the PBA after Ramon S. Ang of San Miguel, who has three, and Manny V. Pangilinan of Talk ‘N Text, who also controls Meralco.

National players Kelly Williams and Jimmy Alapag will suit up for the Texters, who hope to join Crispa, which has two, San Miguel and Alaska as the only teams with triple crowns.

“Of course, there is added pressure,” Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes said over the phone, when asked how the Grand Slam bid could affect this tournament for them. “But we try to put that in the back of our minds and focus on Alaska.

“Every team would want to stop us from achieving it,” Reyes said.

Williams and Alapag, after playing for the Texters here, will be loaned back to the Smart-Gilas program that will try to bag for the Philippines a London Olympic berth in the Fiba-Asia qualifying in China in September.

Interestingly, Alaska will not only be trying to protect their 1996 feat, but will also attempt to end the season with a crown after ruling last year’s Fiesta Conference with the versatile Diamon Simpson leading the Aces.

Focus will be on Alaska’s local roster, which will now rely mostly on LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio after the Aces traded away Joe Devance for Air21’s Jay-R Reyes. Devance eventually wound up with Derby Ace.