2014 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals Preview: Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters vs San Mig Super Coffee Mixers

As the famous saying goes: and then there were two. After only two months and four days, we’re now in the Finals of the Commissioner’s Cup. And the two squads that remain standing – Talk ‘N Text and San Mig Super Coffee.

PASSING OR CLAIMING OF THE TORCH

Not too long ago, we readied ourselves for the Talk ‘N Text dynasty. They were simply taking over the league. Three consecutive Philippine Cup titles, regular appearances in Finals and consistently topping elimination rounds. All signs pointed to a Tropang Texters era in Philippine basketball.

That’s why a lot of people were quite shocked when – for the first time since who knows when – the Tropa failed to enter the playoffs in last season’s Governor’s Cup. Sure, they had a handful of guys who were exhausted from their Gilas stint. But they were Talk ‘N Text – the ultimate powerhouse of the PBA. They should have found a way.

They didn’t. And how quickly people forget. Suddenly, the buzz of a TNT dynasty died. And out of the blue, another team seemed ready to take over – San Mig Super Coffee.

As most of you know, the Mixers have won the past two championships in the league. In both of those campaigns, they were dubbed underdogs. They started out the conference slow, losing their first few games, but they eventually got their stuff together and pulled off miraculous comebacks to bring home the chips.

Could this be the moving on from the supposed Talk ‘N Text era to a San Mig Coffee period? Or will the Tropa put themselves back on the championship map again?

HOW THEY GOT HERE

These two teams took extremely varying paths in getting to the Finals.

Talk ‘N Text’s journey was a breeze. They started out winning their first four games. I thought to myself, “makakatikim din ‘tong mga ‘to.” It shouldn’t be too long before the Tropa suffers its initial defeat. But it never happened. They remained blemish-free. And they marched on to the big stage with a flawless 13-0 slate.

For San Mig Super Coffee, however, it was far from an easy trip. They had to go through dirt roads to get here. Unlike their past two conferences, this time they started on a winning note. They won their first three duels. But things became shaky from there. They closed out the eliminations losing five of last next six games.

Good thing they got to do what they do best – deliver when it matters most. After losing game 1 in the quarterfinals against Alaska, they were able to push for sudden death and were able to pull off a win in game 3. A similar scenario would happen in the semis against Air 21. The Mixers lost game 1 again. But they were able to regain their form and notch back-to-back wins. The Express forced a do-or-die game 5 but SMC proved to be too much to handle.

Extremely different paths to get here. One hassle-free trip and the other a very tiring, roadblock-heavy journey. That factor could actually spell the outcome of this series.

IMPORT MATCH-UP

The match-up between James Mays and Richard Howell is pretty interesting because they have similarities in their game and in their fit in their teams.

Needless to say, both these imports are superbly talented. They can decide to light it up and go on a scoring tear anytime they want to. But what’s impressing is that they also understand that they don’t have to do it all for their squads.

I’ve been hearing complaints about today’s imports not being as dominant as in the years back. People are looking for those 40-20 numbers that previous reinforcements norm. But what we have to understand is that the games of our locals have leveled up. Today’s imports no longer reach those numbers not because they aren’t as good. It’s just that they have more help from the locals. Mays and Howell are perfect examples.

With Mays, Talk ‘N Text is gonna have to watch out for how sneaky he in cleaning the offensive glass. For some reason, he’s always there to tip the ball in. It must be noted that in game 3 of the semifinals, he outrebounded the entire Air21 team 32-26. Wild.

As for Howell, he’s a guy who rarely makes loud noise. But when you look at the post-game numbers, you’ll be surprised at what he’s done. I bet you didn’t realize he’s almost averaging a 20-20. He’s just a perfect fit for the Tropang Texters. Check their record again for proof.

PREDICTION

Oh boy. I always hate this part. Especially when it’s so damn hard to call. But okay, here goes nothing.

For two conferences now, the Mixers have used that ‘underdog card’. They love being in this position – with people thinking that the task at hand is too tall. They absolutely love proving those people wrong. However, they’ve done it twice and I think they’ve ran out of that card.

Talk ‘N Text is riding an incredible 13-game winning streak dating back to the start of the conference. It most probably won’t remain perfect after this series, but I believe fatigue will eventually creep up to SMC and the Tropa will get back to championship status.

This one’s tough but I say Talk ‘N Text in 5.

Photos by Paul Ryan Tan of Sports5.ph

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