Sadly, that wasn't the case.
Trailing by eight after the first half, the fans in red expect that SMB will stage a big comeback that will have the Tropang Texters scurrying for crucial baskets in the dying seconds. Coach Ato Agustin have pt in his best men on the floor, which includes point guard Alex Cabagnot and forward Arwin Santos, who in the previous game nabbed the ball from the Tropang Texters to tie the series at two apiece. They tried to rotate the ball even more and find easy open shots, and when all else fails, try to jack up a three or hand it over to their relegated scorer, Jay Washington.
But then, the Tropang Texters were just too much.
Key runs in the middle of the third quarter got SMB as close as within four, 59-55 after key plays made by Arwind Santos and soon-to-be retiree Olsen Racela. But then, as soon as the Tropang Texters found space to relax and reset their game, they became virtually unstoppable. Continuous attempts during breaks brought them to the charity strike after several fouls called on the Beermen. The three-guard combination of Ryan Reyes, Jimmy Alapag, and Jason Castro hit key long-range shots, which gave their inside scorers like Ranidel de Ocampo some space to work in the paint. Meanwhile, when things go tough and the Beermen come storming on the offensive end, Harvey Carey, Ali Peek, and Kelly Williams would prevent Washington, Cabagnot, Santos, and Dorian Pena from making inside shots. In that segment of Game 5, the Tropang Texters became the elite team that they were destined to be.
And the Beermen didn't have anything to respond to that. There were several attempts to climb back by using their snipers and shooting threes. Apparently, there were only one or two that made it. Because the Beermen cannot penetrate, Arwind Santos and Sunday Salvacion kept jacking up missed threes which could have gotten the game closer than it was.
By the middle of the final canto, where there should have been a close fight, the Tropang Texters is already holding on to a safe 15-point lead. There could have been a chance for the Beermen to catch up, but Larry Fonacier came off the Tropang Texters bench and hit three straight triples, two over Beermen reserve Joseph Yeo, to extend the lead to more than 20. And by that time, those fans in red who hoped for an advantage went home wishing that Game 6 would produce better results.
In the end, it wasn't just enough. The Beermen who , as a team, have to bring it all out to win this series, were simply bullied all the way by the Tropang Texters, who had the right pieces to win a game, and even the series.
And perhaps what the Beermen could just do is wish that they will stretch this series and give them an opportunity to show that they can still win despite a huge disadvantage.
Talk N' Text 99 - De Ocampo 20, Castro 17, Alapag 16, Reyes 10, Dillinger 9, Fonacier 9, Peek 9, Williams 6, Carey 3, Yee 0, Aban 0, Alvarez 0, Lao 0.
San Miguel 77 - Santos 18, Washington 18, Hontiveros 14, Ildefonso 7, Miranda 5, Pena 4, Yeo 3, Salvacion 3,Cabagnot 2, Pennisi 2, Artadi 1, Racela 0.
Quarter Scores: 14-23, 52-44, 74-64, 99-77
Philstar.com for the pic, PBA.ph for the box score.
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