TNT torches RoS
Talk ‘N Text 99 vs. Rain or Shine 78
by rick olivares with pic by tunying p.
March 13, 2011
Araneta Coliseum
For a moment, actually for the better part of three quarters, it was like those days when American imports would routinely torch the hoops and put up eye-popping and improbable numbers. Time was when there was the Hurricane, Memphis Slim, and Sean Chambers who all went head to head with one another shooting the daylights and if possible the nightlights out the gym. The scored. They soared. They dunked on one another and they put on a show with everyone going “ooh” and “ahh”. It was like Godzilla versus Mechagodzilla versus Mothra.
For the hitherto undefeated Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, they have two of the best American reinforcements in this year’s Commissioners Cup in Hassan Adams and Paul Harris. Thoroughbreds all. Great talents who fly in the air with the greatest of ease. Plus, they could score some.
And for a while, their teammates would put the ball in their hands and watch them work their mojo. And back and forth it went. Harris, the former Syracuse Orange, topscored with 32 points while Adams, the for University of Arizona Wildcat, notched 26. The numbers sound pedestrian when placed side by side with the prodigious scoring feats of the aforementioned troika but in the light of the growth of the game and the vast improvement of homegrown players and the addition of Fil-foreigners, those numbers are considered as very good.
Besides, the finally tally – not to mention the final score and possibly the outcome – might have been different had Adams not hurt his leg and Harris not been in foul trouble.
No matter who was placed in front of them it didn’t seem to matter. Harris, sculpted physique and all, drove and jumped over them. Adams, with a mean crossover and speed belying his tank-like physique routinely drove past anyone. Each opposing coach’s best hope?
“I was hoping he’d miss,” succinctly put TNT head coach Chot Reyes of the unstoppable Adams who is arguably the league’s best import.
And the game was close up to the 4:38 mark of the 3rd Quarter after an Adams basket put them two behind 59-57. Adams who seemed to have hurt himself while putting the moves on his guards who might as well have not been there went out soon after that. And the Tropang Texters pulled away.
The Tropang Texters improved their shooting in the second half to finish at 43.5% (they shot 34% in the first two quarters), grabbed more rebounds 53-41 and dished off more assists 15-7.
The match up was between two of the hottest teams. Both were on three-game win skeins with the Elasto Painters undefeated thus far. Talk ‘N Text bounced back after an opening day 103-98 loss to Smart Gilas Pilipinas, the last undefeated squad in the Commissioners Cup with a perfect 4-0 slate.
For Rain or Shine, the streak brought good memories to head coach Yeng Guiao. He didn’t have the cast to do it with Air21, but in ROS, a team of discards, nobodies, and young guns, he had a chance to not only reprise his Red Bulls champion teams but also turn around a perennially underachieving franchise.
And for three quarters, it looked like ROS would match its best start since Jai Lewis donned the team colors. But Adams’ injury and a 12-4 TNT blast to close out the third quarter sapped some of the fight from the Elasto Painters. By the team Guaio sent Adams back in the game, the lead was 17 points and the American’s game had cooled off. As the Elasto Painters’ field goal percentage dropped, the turnovers mounted. After one particularly ugly sequence where Adams lost the ball on the break, Guiao shook his head; the game had turned from the competitive to the ugly.
“We’ve got a ways to go, man,” said a disconsolate Gabe Norwood who typified ROS’ struggle as he managed only 2 points in five field goal attempts while missing all five of his free throws.
“We approached this game with a different mindset,” underscored Reyes post-match. “Last week we faced a team that had no wins and today we faced a team that had no loss. In our practices, we talked about consistency and how we had to come out and play hard against a championship contender. I thought we caught a break when Adams got injured but we cannot worry about that. We have to stay up their within striking distance of Smart Gilas while matching Alaska (that won earlier to tie TNT with a 4-1 record).”
Talk ‘N Text 99 – Harris 32, Peek 23, Williams 16, De Ocampo 10, Alapag 5, Aban 4, Yee 3, Reyes 2, Fonacier 2, Carey 2, Oreta 0, Alvarez 0
Rain or Shine 78 – Adams 26, Chan 19, Rodriguez 11, Belga 6, Ferriols 6, Buenafe 3, Vanlandingham 2, Norwood 2, Kramer 2, Jazul 1, Uyloan 0, Cruz 0, Tang 0, Arana 0
Notes & Observations:
While watching the game, I remarked to Allan Caidic who I oft engage in many a basketball discussion, that the stress that Adams must place on his knees is too much. All that stopping and turning must be murder on him. There is one other player who places a lot of wear and tear on his legs – Talk ‘N Text’s Jared Dillinger. When you think about it, JD’s got skinny legs and all that lift and power he uses when he takes of on his daredevil drives. Anyone else you think who drives like that?
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