MANILA: Using their speed and agility to the hilt, the Talk N Text Tropang Texters whipped the San Miguel Beermen, 110-102, Wednesday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven Finals. Jared Dillinger poured 20 points, 11 of them in the final canto, to lead the Texters to another impressive win against the suddenly lethargic-looking Beermen. Dillinger also had five rebounds. Jason Castro also played a key role in the TNT win, scoring 15 points on top of five assists and three rebounds. The Beermen played catchup all throughout as the Texters quickly seized control of the game. The Texters opened up the fourth quarter with a 12-4 run to take a nine-point lead, 84-75, with 9:47 left. They extended their lead to 14 points, 99-85, with 5:30 left on a triple by Ranidel de Ocampo. The Beermen made one last bid to turn the game around, cutting the TNT lead to just three on a floater by Alex Cabagnot, 100-103, with 1:28 left. But Castro's clutch baskets down the stretch sent the Beermen reeling once again. Cabagnot drilled 18 points, all of them scored in the second half while Jay Washington had 20 markers. Meanwhile, guest team Smart Gilas will be one of the favorites in the shortened PBA Commissioner's Cup that begins later next month. Coaches from regular competing squads in the league agreed that the amateur team will be a title-contender with the presence of the intimidating 6-foot-10 center Marcus Douthit in its roster. Douthit, the former Los Angeles Lakers draftee in the NBA, is the tallest player among the reinforcements seeing action in the Commissioner's Cup, which features imports not taller than 6-foot-4. The PBA earlier approved the request of Barako Bull to take a leave of absence from the league's second conference, paving the way for the entry of the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national developmental team. Smart Gilas had requested permission to join the import-flavored second conference of Asia's first play-for-pay league as part of its preparation for the coming FIBA Asia Championship, the qualifying event for the 2012 London Olympic Games. All games of Smart Gilas against the nine other competing teams will have a bearing on the standings.
