Energy level in Game 3 key

TALK ‘N Text’s Game 3 main man Jayson Castro yields little space to San Mig Coffee’s Mark Barroca in Sunday’s Game 2. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / NUKI SABIO

MANILA, Philippines — This time, it’s Tim Cone who is asking for more effort from his players.

With momentum on the side of Talk ‘N Text, Cone wants his San Mig Coffee Mixers to go all out Tuesday when they break their 1-1 tie with the Tropang Texters in the best-of-five title series for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“It’s a best-of-three now, so the winner of the next game takes control of the series,” Cone said.

“For us to do that, we’ll need a better effort than what we gave in Game 2. Talk ‘N Text really turned the tables on us. “We have got to figure a way to get them uncomfortable again,” he continued.

“We need to be ready and willing to grind out a win.” The Texters—after a lackluster effort in the series opener—returned to their old form on Sunday and walloped the Mixers, 86-76, to be the prohibitive favorite in the 8 p.m. contest.

Coach Norman Black took an 80-95 Game 1 loss flush on the chin when his Texters came out flat and trailed by as many as 19 points in the second half.

Talk ‘N Text made amends in Game 2, though, and took command from the third quarter as Cone never got James Yap and Peter June Simon, his foremost scorers, on the offensive groove.

In fact, Yap and Simon were on the bench when the Mixers came back from a 16-point deficit to within six heading into the final minutes.

“I don’t have much to say except that Game 3 will be crucial,” Black said.

“We will have to bring an even higher energy level, and limit our turnovers to come out with the win.”

Jason Castro, the prime candidate for the Best Player of the Conference award, was the biggest reason why this series is tied.

The fleet-footed Gilas national team standout finished Game 2 with 30 points—25 of them in the first three periods and the last five when the Texters snuffed the fight out of the Mixers in the stretch.

San Mig won Game 1 convincingly because the Talk ‘N Text point guards never got into a rhythm in setting up the offense.

But Castro made sure there wouldn’t be a repeat of that two nights ago.

Richard Howell, the hot favorite for the Best Import citation, also woke up last Sunday and looked to have gotten into a groove in the first title series of his career since high school.