MANILA, Philippines—Head coach Norman Black figured beforehand Alaska would be tough nut to crack for Talk ‘N Text.
True enough, the Tropang Texters edged the Aces in another thriller in Game 5 as their best-of-seven semifinals series continues to go back and forth.
“They actually beat us in the elimination round, so we knew right then they were going to be a tough assignment for us,” said Black.
“Normally when you beat a team, in their case, they beat a team considered to be pretty good, when you see that happen they must be pretty good also because we’re not just going to lose to anybody,” he added.
On several occasions, TNT appeared on track to cruise to victory. The Texters even held a 12-point lead, 84-72, at one point with only 4:20 left but the Aces were resilient enough to get back on course.