TALK N Text produced another monster game in the bubble to roll back Phoenix Super LPG, 110-91, for its fourth straight win in the PBA Philippine Cup 2020 at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena.
In a game of changing fortunes, the Tropang Giga had six players in double digits enroute to their fourth straight win in the 12-team tournament being held inside an NBA-inspired bubble in Pampanga.
Roger Pogoy finished with 30 points, including 5-of-11 shooting from the three-point area, to lead Talk N Text to another convincing victory entering the second week of the bubble play.
John Paul Erram added 18 points and 15 rebounds, Simon Enciso contributed 13 points, and Ray Parks had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Tropang Giga, who outscored the Fuel Masters, 30-14, in the third quarter and 35-23 in the fourth period.
Matthew Wright topscored with 31 points for Phoenix, which led by as many as 14 points early in the game.
A big letdown for Phoenix was Jason Perkins, who was held to only eight points before fouling out in the game.
Perkins had 31 points in Phoenix’s victory over NorthPort.
Meanwhile, Blackwater Elite guns for its third win in four matches when it meets unpredictable Alaska Milk in the main game at 6:45 p.m. today.
Blackwater is fresh from an ego-boosting 98-88 win over NLEX also last Saturday, but coach Nash Racela expects a tougher game against Alaska.
He said the Elite need to play consistently in all four quarters to keep the Aces at bay.
“Alaska is really one of the teams performing very well before the pandemic. Tapos pagpasok dito sa bubble, isa sila sa mga most conditioned teams, of course, alongside TNT,” added Racela.
“It will be tough playing them, especially coming off their first win.”
After back-to-back tough losses to Talk N Text ad Meralco in their first two assignments, Alaska bounced back to beat Magnolia, 87-81, also last Saturday.
Alaska coach Jeff Cariaso, the breakthrough win should push the Aces to further improve and ultimately reclaim the full game-shape they lost in the pandemic-caused layoff.
“We lacked the basketball aspect,” said Cariaso in describing the Aces’ performance in their first two games.
“It’s really just establishing ourselves and getting the groove back,” added Cariaso. “I really feel we aren’t in the right rhythm. Our flow is still inconsistent.”
Magnolia and Meralco clash in the 4 p.m. first game with the winner moving up to 2-2 in bubble play.
Both the Hotshots and the Bolts are off to a scrambling start and still hoping to establish rhythm.
“It’s difficult to fall in a deep hole in the bubble. Other teams will pick themselves up and get some wins,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero.
“It’s a little bit difficult if you are losing because you see everybody every minute of the day. You see all the teams and you see all the officials so you can’t get away from basketball because of the atmosphere,” said Magnolia coach Norman Black.
The scores:
Talk N Text (110) –Pogoy 30, Erram 18, Enciso 13, Parks 12, Rosario 11, Castro 10, Reyes 10, De Leon 3, Washington 3, Semerad 0, Alejandro 0, Flores 0, Vosotros 0. Phoenix (91) — Wright 31, Napoles 10, Perkins 8, Chua 7, Jazul 7, Reyes 6, Marcelo 5, Garcia 5, Heruela 4, Intal 4, Gamboa 4, Rios 0. Quarterscores: 24-24, 45-54, 75-68, 110-91.
Games Tuesday:
(Angeles University Sports Arena)
4 p.m. — Magnolia vs. Meralco
6:45 p.m. — Blackwater vs. Alaska
