Playing with grace under extreme pressure, the Talk N Text Tropang Texters trounced the Alaska Aces, 93-89, Wednesday night to capture the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup championship at the jampacked Araneta Coliseum. In a classic Game 7 duel between two talent-laden squads, the Texters employed a crippling defense down the stretch and then watched the Aces choke and self-destruct. The Aces earlier took the lead, 89-87, after charging back from a 62-76 deficit. But with 2:14 left in the game, TNT frontliner Ranidel De Ocampo nearly fumbled the ball but still managed to hit a mid-range jump shot to tie the score for the last time at 89-89. The Texters then handcuffed the Aces, resulting to a 24-second shotclock violation by Alaska. Harvey Carey then powered his way to the basket to give TNT a 91-89 edge with still 1:29 left. Alaska had several opportunities to knot the score or even take the lead but Joe Devance and two-time former Most Valuable Player and Best Player of the Conference Willie Miller muffed their field goal attempts and even their free throws. Miller's misses were the costliest, coming as they did in the final 16 seconds of the game. After missing only nine out of his 28 previous free throw attempts in the Finals, Miller muffed two free throws. In the ensuing scramble for the ball, Alaska got a new lease on life when Ali Peek touched the ball last off the baseline. Miller drove to the basket but again missed his shot. The Aces were forced to give their last affordable foul, with 4.3 seconds to go. Jimmy Alapag then coolly nailed two foul shots for the final score. The championship was only the second all-Filipino title for TNT after its win in 2003 and only third overall after it won the 1998 Centennial Cup, a special tournament put up to train the Philippine national team in time for the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand. Mac-Mac Cardona made the TNT championship even sweeter for him personally when he was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player. He topscored with a game-high 23 points. He also had two rebounds, two assists and two steals. TNT rookie Jason Castro played his best game in the championship, contributing 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Meanwhile, the import-reinforced PBA Fiesta Cup fires off on Feb. 28, with the Barangay Ginebra Kings pinning their main hopes of defending their title on their former prolific import Rod Nealy and come-backing ace gunner Mark Caguioa. The scores: Talk N Text 93 – Cardona 23, Castro 19, De Ocampo R. 12, Alapag 10, Peek 10, Ritualo 9, Carey 7, De Ocampo Y. 2, Dillinger 1. Alaska 89 – Miller 22, Hugnatan 17, Devance 14, Tenorio 10, Fonacier 10, Ferriols 6, Thoss 4, Dela Cruz 4, Carriaso 2. Quarters: 20-23, 47-41, 73-63, 93
