Ryan Reyes Three-Point Shot Helps Texters past Aces

Talk N Text vs Alaska Aces sports.inquirer.net Pushed to the limit by a very determined foe, Talk ‘N Text last night showed the resilience that has enabled the Tropang Texters to reign supreme in the PBA Philippine Cup the last two seasons. “This is what (champion) teams are made of, you have to win games like this,” Talk ‘N Text coach Norman Black said after a low-scoring 66-65 victory over underdog Alaska at the start of their Final Four series last night at Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Tropang Texters needed to dig deep into their bag of tricks after the Alaska defense shut down their high-profile offensive machine practically all night. They finally pulled through after holding the Aces scoreless in the last 2:34 to overhaul a four-point deficit with a huge three-pointer from Ryan Reyes with 14.3 seconds remaining turning out to be the marginal basket. “This is a very difficult win for us,” Black continued. “I am happy because we ground it out. It became a defensive struggle and that’s what normally happens in the playoffs.