PBA Saturday : Talk and Text win a close one vs. Rain or Shine

Source : PBA

Cagayan de Oro City. -- There are some doubters as to the ability of Jayson Castro to carry Talk
‘N Text in the absence of fallen starting guards Jimmy Alapag and Ryan Reyes.



On Saturday, the player everybody calls The Blur proved them wrong.

With the game on the line, the lightning-quick Castro made one huge basket after the other in late
regulation and in overtime as the Tropang Texters turned back the stubborn Rain or Shine Elasto
Painters, 106-104, to remain on top in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Xavier University Gym here.

Playing before a jampacked weekend crowd headed by Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno, Castro
erupted for nine of his 21 points in OT which he highlighted with a layup he launched amid heavy
traffic that sealed it for Talk ‘N Text.

The defending champion Tropang Texters are now at least one and a half games away from the rest of
the peact with an 8-1 (win-loss) slate.

Given the green light to shoot by Talk ‘N Text head coach Chot Reyes with Alapag and Reyes out due
to injuries, Castro also made two crucial baskets in regulation that kept his team's head above
water in forcing OT.

Rain or Shine had a second to force another extra time and perhaps steal the win with a triple but
could not launch a decent shot at the endgame buzzer that sent Talk ‘N Text players and coaching
staff in jubilation.

The Elasto Painters, who once were on top, fell to their second straight defeat and third overall
against seven wins to fall from grace as they fell into a tie at No. 2 spot with the idle Petron
Blaze Boosters on their identical 7-3 cards.

Rain or Shine drew scoring from equal sources as six of its players finished in double figures
headed by Jervy Cruz's 16 points and Ryan Arana's 15.

RoS rookie sensation Paul Lee tallied 11 points including one monster pull up jumper that gave the
Elasto Painters a 93-91 lead with 16 seconds left in regulation before Castro knotted it and forced
extra time.

And then it was all The Blur from there.

Ranidel de Ocampo actually led all scorers with 27 points but he fell to cramps late in regulation
paving the way for Castro to take over.

Arana came in attack mode early as he exploded with 10 points in the first quarter when the Elasto
Painters erected a 30-24 lead.

The Tropang Texters though tightened the defensive screws in the second period and kept the game a
little bit closer to go into the final half with just a three-point disadvantage, 45-48. (JV)

The scores:

TALK N' TEXT 106 - De Ocampo 27, Castro 21, Williams 12, Aguilar 12, Dillinger 11, Carey 9, Fonacier
7, Gamalinda 4,Weinstein 3, Raymundo 0, Alvarez 0, Lao 0.

RAIN OR SHINE 104 - Cruz 16, Arana 15, Belga 13, Chan 13, Buenafe 12, Lee 11, Rodriguez 9, Quinahan
8, Norwood 4, Ibanes 3, Matias 0.

Quarterscores: 24-30, 45-48, 70-74, 93, 106-104