Talk 'N Text outlasts ROS in double overtime to win title

(MENAFN- Arab News) MANILA: The balloons finally fell from the rafters for Talk 'N Text and the Tropang Texters literally needed more than just the seventh game to wrap this one up.
In the longest Game 7 in PBA Finals history the Texters got the goods from its veterans led by Ranidel de Ocampo in the second overtime on Wednesday night to prevail 121-119 for the Commissioner's Cup title before an SRO crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.
De Ocampo reset his career-high for the second time in these Finals with 34 including the first eight in the second extension before Jason Castro and Larry Fonacier helped in the mop-up job in the dying seconds for Talk 'N Text's seventh championship.
There wasn't any other fitting way to cap this title series that had all the makings of a drama anthology.
From superstar Rain or Shine point guard Paul Lee losing a tooth to the rugged plays on the floor a coach branding an import as 'mentally unstable' and to the wives of the players ultimately going after each other this decider was the perfect final act.
Rain or Shine had a chance to win it in regulation only for Chris Tiu to throw a three-pointer that was way off the mark at the buzzer as the first overtime was forged at 97-all.
Castro missed a triple also at the horn which took the teams to the historic second overtime at 106 after which De Ocampo took over by hitting a short stab and then two straight triples under heavy pressure inside the first 1:45 that got the Texters going.
Paul Lee scattered 38 points also his new career-high and got the Elasto Painters within 119-118 with 17 seconds remaining after the last of his seven triples.
Wayne Chism fired 19 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and got the Painters back in the game after Rain or Shine labored under a bum start to trail by as large as 16 in the first period.
The first time that Rain or Shine enjoyed the lead was at 99-97 with 4:07 left in the first overtime after a Jericho Cruz layup. The Painters forged ahead by 104-101 with 1:47 left after two Chism free throws.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Painters who have now finished second in the last eight conferences as they had possession going into the final 19.7 seconds of the first overtime.
Lee milked the clock but threw up a triple try from way out that grazed the left side of the rim and left 1.6 seconds for the Texters to try to win it in the first extension.
The victory also marked coach Jong Uichico's return as a winner his last championship coming in the 2008 Fiesta Conference while with Barangay Ginebra where he also win Game 7 against Air21.
Talk 'N Text was able to pound out the win by taking away Chism from his comfort zone holding the Rain or Shine import scoreless in the final five minutes.
'It's always the same the feeling of winning' Uichico told reporters after spending some time with his players in the on-court celebration. 'It also doesn't change when you lose you're devastated.
'You're happy when you win a championship' he said. 'We will savor this for the meantime and then get back to work.'
The season-ending Governors' Cup starts on May 5.
Import Ivan Johnson scored 30 points had 11 boards and was still able to give out some cheap shots along the way that the referees continued to ignore.
There was one play late in the fourth quarter where he and Lee dove for the loose ball. After winning possession that led to a De Ocampo layup Johnson sprawled on the floor together with Lee was able to give out a nasty elbow to the neck of the Rain or Shine guard.
De Ocampo wound up as the Finals MVP over Castro. De Ocampo also showed some of his dirty side by punching Jonathan Uyloan in the mid-section in the fourth quarter which the referees also missed.
Meanwhile the board of governors will meet again on Thursday to hear the plans of each candidate for the game commissioner's post.
Rickie Santos Jay Adalem Vince Hizon and Chito Narvasa will be interviewed separately by a board as a whole as they each present their plans for the league in taking over from Chito Salud.