Texters rout Blaze to force winner-take-all showdown Sunday

Source: gmanews.tv

Talk 'N Text kept its ambitious Grandslam hopes alive, pulling away early in Game 6 for a 104-78 rout of Petron Friday night that sent their PBA Governors Cup Finals into a winner-take-all showdown.

The Tropang Texters rediscovered their shooting touch that abandoned them the last two games of the title series as Jayson Castro, who suited up despite nursing an MCL tear, and big man Ranidel de Ocampo bombed from the outside in a sizzling first-half display of firepower.

Import returnee Maurice Baker then took charge in the second half, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the third period as Talk 'N Text began to rip the game apart and opened the door for Sunday's Game 7 at the Araneta Coliseum.

"Hindi ko na iniisip 'yung sakit," said Castro, who dropped 13 points against the Blaze Boosters in a four-minute stretch the moment he was fielded in by Tropang Texters coach Chot Reyes with eight minutes left in the first quarter. He replaced Kelly Williams.

"Kapag inisip ko pa 'yung sakit, hindi na ako makaka-focus sa game. Ang iniisip ko lang makatulong sa team at manalo."

Talk 'N Text's 26-point blowout win leveled the best-of-seven series at 3-3 as the Tropang Texters remained very much on course of becoming only the fifth team in PBA history to complete a sweep of the three-conference season.

"In the end, this series will be won by one thing—heart," said Reyes.

De Ocampo led Talk 'N Text with 21 points and nine rebounds, Castro added 19 markers, while Jimmy Alapag scored 16 and 10 assists.

Baker, who replaced Scottie Reynolds, also got the better end of his match-up with Anthony Grundy. The Petron import was held to just five points and failed to score in the first half.

Arwind Santos scored 19 and grabbed 14 rebounds to show the way for Petron.

Both De Ocampo and Castro already had 16 points in the first half as the two waxed hot and gave the Tropang Texters a 55-43 lead at the turn.

De Ocampo took over from where Castro left off in the opening quarter, waxing hot in the second period as the Tropang Texters took control of the match watched by an estimated crowd of 12,708.

A Ryan Reyes three-pointer gave Talk 'N Text a 55-42 spread in the closing seconds of the second period.

Earlier, Castro came off the bench in the first four minutes of the opening period and scored 13 of his team's first 19 points.

His offensive explosion turned a 4-10 deficit to a 19-16 Talk 'N Text lead.

A Castro assist to De Ocampo resulted to a booming three-pointer stretching that three-point edge to 22-16. Talk 'N Text never looked back from there. - JVP, GMA News

Talk 'N Text 104 - De Ocampo 21, Castro 19, Baker 18, Alapag 16, Carey 8, Williams 7, Peek 6, Dillinger 3, Reyes 3, Fonacier 3, Aban 0, Alvarez 0, Lao 0.

Petron 78 - Santos 19, Ildefonso 14, Miranda 12, Guevarra 11, Grundy 5, Cabagnot 5, Salvacion 5, Pennisi 5, Baclao 1, Hubalde 1, Duncil 0.

Quarter scores: 31-23, 55-43, 78-58, 104-78.