Jay R. Gotera Saudi Gazette MANILA — Jayson Castro drilled a tightly contested jump shot that banked in off the glass with 5.2 seconds left to lift the Talk N Text Tropang Texters to a nail-biting 89-86 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome. The Painters still had a chance to send the game into overtime, but Chris Tiu's desperation three-point attempt was off the mark, allowing the Texters to notch their first win in the conference and their seventh straight win over the Painters going back to last season's Commissioner's Cup. Castro started cold but caught fire late in the game to finish with a team-high 15 points. Ranidel De Ocampo added 14 points and 11 rebounds while Willie Miller, in his first game back in the PBA after a long absence, finished with 10. Talk N Text won despite the struggles of its import Richard Howell who only managed to collect 13 points on top of 12 rebounds. Rain or Shine import Rick Jackson led all scorers with 30 points and 10 rebounds. With their dazzling running game, the Painters erected a seven-point lead, 78-71, in the fourth quarter after an 8-0 run. But the Texters responded with an 8-2 run on baskets by Castro, Howell and De Ocampo. The biggest shot of the night was taken by Castro in the dying moments of the game when the wily TNT point guard drove to the basket, pivoted to temporarily lose his defender, before taking a difficult shot that went in. Barako Bull 92, Blackwater 70 Playing his first game for yet another team, Sol Mercado didn't waste time to stamp his class, firing 20 points and leading a fourth quarter assault to power the Barako Bull Energy to a 92-70 humiliation of the expansion club Blackwater Elite, who played minus their injured seven-foot import Chris Charles. Mercado led a 15-0 Barako Bull blast in the final period that turned a close contest into a rout. He added three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a lot of hustle to lift his new team to its first victory in the conference. Mercado, nicknamed the “Sol Train,” was earlier traded by San Miguel Beer to GlobalPort, which then traded him to Barako Bull in a swap for guard Denok Miranda. Barako Bull import Solomon Alabi also did not disappoint, finishing with a team-high 21 points on top of 22 rebounds and five blocks in his PBA game. Mercado's backcourt partner Chico Lanete also played solidly, scoring 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. The still winless Blackwater suffered its 12th straight defeat in the season going back to the recent Philippine Cup. Charles, the Elite import, watched helplessly on the bench as he was still nursing a hamstring injury he suffered during practice. Surprisingly, the Elite were in the game for first three quarters despite playing without an import. With center Bryan Faundo waxing hot, the Elite came to within two points of tying the score late in the third quarter. But then Mercado and Lanete led a 15-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarter as the Energy pulled away, 75-58, with 9:26 left. Games Friday: Meralco Bolts vs. KIA Motors Carnival; GlobalPort Batang Pier vs. Purefoods Star Hotshots.
