TNT’s Ranidel de Ocampo fires a long jumper off ROS import Wayne Chism (R) and Jonathan Uyloan in Wednesday night’s Game 7 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Jay R. Gotera
Saudi Gazette
MANILA — In a titanic battle that took two overtime periods to finish, the Talk N Text Tropang Texters finally emerged victorious, outlasting the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 121-119, to win the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship.
It was the first time in league history that a Game 7 went into double overtime as two equally determined teams engaged in a fierce shootout, with the players from both sides giving it their all in a highly physical and tension-filled game.
Its 4-3 win in the best-of-seven Finals gave the Talk N Text franchise its seventh PBA championship and its first since the 2013 Philippine Cup under coach Norman Black.
In a game with many heroes, Ranidel de Ocampo stood tallest as he scored a career-high 34 points, taking over in the second overtime where he scored his team’s first eight points.
De Ocampo drove to the basket at the start of the second overtime to bank in a shot. He followed it up with a three-pointer to give TNT a 111-106 lead.
Rain or Shine’s Chris Tiu sank two free throws but De Ocampo answered with another three pointer to give TNT a six-point lead, 114-108.
Gabe Norwood and Paul Lee of ROS and TNT import Ivan Johnson and Harvey Carey then exchanged long-range bombs.
Lee drilled another three-pointer from the corner to cut TNT’s lead to a whisker, 119-118, with less than a minute left.
The Painters sent Larry Fonacier to the free throw line to kill time, but Fonacier hit both charities to restore TNT’s three-point lead, 121-118.
With a few ticks left, ROS had a chance to send the game into a third overtime, but Jayson Castro denied the Painters that chance as he fouled Lee with less than two seconds left. Lee sank the first free throw. He then deliberately missed the second in the hope his teammates could snare the rebound and put up a quick shot. But Johnson secured the rebound as time expired to finally settle the contest.
After scoring just six points in Game 6, Johnson came up big in the winner-take-all match, finishing with 30 points and 11 boards.
Castro nearly had a triple double, posting 23 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Fonacier added 12 points while Jay Washington chipped in with 10 markers.
The Texters were ahead by seven points in the last two minutes of regulation when ROS import Wayne Chism scored his team’s last eight points in the period to tie the game at 97-all. Chism scored 19 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter alone.
In the first overtime period, Chism nailed a three-pointer and sank two free throws to give ROS a 104-101 lead. But Johnson and Fonacier struck back.
Lee sent the game into a second overtime period with a basket to level the score at 106-106 at the end of the first overtime. Lee led the Painters with 38 points. Tiu added 10 markers.
