MANILA — The poise of a tried and tested champion spelled the big difference in the end. The two-time defending champion Talk N Text Tropang Texters weathered a furious counter-strike by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the homestretch to win, 87-81, in Game of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Center. Game Two of best-of-seven championship series is set Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Down by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, the Painters suddenly caught fire to slash the deficit to three, 76-79, following a 7-0 run, with 3:15 left. But instead of panicking, the Texters kept their cool. Finding himself open in the ensuing play, Larry Fonacier drilled a cold-blooded three-pointer to pad TNT's lead to six. Jeff Chan quickly countered with a basket in the next play, keeping Rain or Shine's hopes alive. But the cat-quick Jayson Castro scored on a difficult drive to the consternation of coach Yeng Guiao's boys. With time running out, the Painters missed hurried attempts and committed two huge turnovers to seal their doom. TNT's tight perimeter defense took its toll on Rain or Shine as the Painters converted just four of 21 three-point attempts. Overall, Rain or Shine was limited to 35 percent shooting from the field. Chan, Rain or Shine's deadliest shooter, finished with just 10 points on a miserable 3-of-12 shooting, missing all four of his three-point attempts. The Texters started the game with all guns ablaze, scoring 11 straight unanswered points in the first quarter. In between the first and second quarters, they rattled off a 14-0 run to take a 33-15 lead. TNT head coach Norman Black used all his players, with 11 contributing points led by Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo with 16 points apiece. Jared Dillinger chimed in 13 while Fonacier and Alapag had nine each. Jervy Cruz led the Painters with 13 points and nine rebounds. Paul Lee scored 11 points on a lackluster 4-of-14 from the field. After recording his team's fourth straight win against Rain or Shine since the 2011 season, Black said “this is where the fun begins.” “Coach Yeng (Guiao) will surely make the adjustments come Game Two. But it's a good start for us,” said TNT's American coach. Black is seeking his 11th PBA title.
