2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals

The 2014 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner's Cup Finals was the best-of-5 championship series of the 2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs. The Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters and the San Mig Super Coffee competed for the 14th Commissioner's Cup championship and the 111th overall championship contested by the league.

2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals
TeamCoachWins
(6) San Mig Super Coffee Mixers Tim Cone 3
(1) Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters Norman Black 1
DatesMay 9–15, 2014
MVPJames Yap (San Mig Super Coffee)
TelevisionSports5
TV5 and AksyonTV
Cignal Digital TV (in high definition) (local)
Fox Sports Asia and AksyonTV International (international)
AnnouncersSee broadcast notes
Radio networkDZSR
Referees
Game 1:P. Balao, J. Mariano, R. Dacanay
Game 2:N. Quilingen, E. Aquino, A. Tankion
Game 3:E. Tankion, P. Balao, A. Herrera
Game 4:A. Herrera, N. Quilingen, J. Mariano

This championship was also the first PBA finals series that aired in high definition television for Cignal Digital TV subscribers.[1]

Prior the finals series, Talk 'N Text had a 13-0 record,[2] sweeping both the elimination (nine games)[3] and playoff (four games) rounds.[4] San Mig Super Coffee however won the championship after defeating Talk 'N Text in their finals series, 3-1.[5][6]

Background

San Mig Super Coffee Mixers

San Mig Super Coffee finished 6th place after the elimination round with a 4-5 record. The team was pitted with the defending champions Alaska in a best-of-three quarterfinal series.[7][8] Alaska won the first game, 86-77 and was on verge of eliminating San Mig Coffee.[9] The Mixers managed to win the next two games to advance to the semifinal round[10] against Air21 Express, an unexpected semifinalist after they had eliminated the second seeded San Miguel Beermen, who had a twice-to-beat advantage.[11]

Led by the 41-year-old Asi Taulava, they won the first game against the Mixers, 103-100.[12] San Mig Coffee went on to win the next two games to grab the series lead and was one win away in clinching a finals berth. However, the Express went on a three-point shooting spree on Game 4, and forced a rubber match.[13] Game 5 was eventually won by the Mixers, 99-83.[14]

Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters

After missing the semifinal round in the previous conference, Talk 'N Text swept the elimination round, becoming the first team since the 1990 Presto Tivolis to become undefeated in the eliminations, which the Tivolis did in the 1990 PBA All-Filipino Conference.[3] The Tropang Texters gained the top seed and a twice-to-beat advantage against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. They easily defeated Barangay Ginebra, 97–84, in the quarterfinals[15] and went on to face third seeded Rain or Shine in the semifinals. Talk 'N Text swept Rain or Shine in three games.[4] This achievement gave them a chance to completely sweep the tournament, which was nearly achieved by the 1980 Crispa Redmanizers, who finished 20-1 in the tournament, after they were defeated by the Toyota Super Corollas in Game 3 of the 1980 PBA All-Filipino Conference Finals.[16]

Road to the finals
Main article: 2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup
San Mig Super CoffeeTalk 'N Text
Finished 4–5 (0.444): 6th placeElimination roundFinished 9–0 (1.000): 1st place
Def. Alaska, 2–1 (best-of-three)QuarterfinalsDef. Barangay Ginebra, 97–84 (twice-to-beat advantage)
Def. Air21, 3–2SemifinalsDef. Rain or Shine, 3–0

Head-to-head matchup
March 31
Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 81, San Mig Super Coffee Mixers 75

Series summary
Team Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Wins
San Mig Coffee 9576771003
Talk 'N Text 808675911
Venue AranetaAranetaAranetaPhilSports

Game 1
Sports5
May 9
8:00 pm
San Mig Super Coffee Mixers 95, Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 80
Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 27–23, 26–17, 25–23
Pts: Yap 17
Rebs: Mays 12
Asts: Yap, Barroca, Devance, de Ocampo 3		 Pts: Castro 17
Rebs: Howell 13
Asts: Alapag 4
San Mig Super Coffee leads series, 1–0
Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
Referees: P. Balao, J. Mariano, R. Dacanay

A first half run by the Coffee Mixers helped them gain the lead, and eventually won Game 1, giving Talk 'N Text's first loss in the conference.[17]

Game 2
Sports5
May 11
5:00 pm
San Mig Super Coffee Mixers 76, Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 86
Scoring by quarter: 15–19, 18–18, 16–28, 21–27
Pts: Mays, Melton 15
Rebs: Mays 12
Asts: Devance 3		 Pts: Castro 30
Rebs: Howell 20
Asts: Castro, Alapag 5
Series tied, 1–1
Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
Attendance: 12,829
Referees: N. Quilingen, E. Aquino, A. Tankion

The Texters came back in Game 2 as they took the lead early on and led for most of the game. Near the end of the game, the Mixers, led by their import, James Mays, managed to close in on the Texters, but solid effort on both ends of the floor in the dying minutes helped Talk 'N Text knot the series up, 1-1.[18]

Game 3
Sports5
May 13
8:00 pm
San Mig Super Coffee Mixers 77, Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 75
Scoring by quarter: 25–15, 12–20, 23–21, 17–19
Pts: Mays 20
Rebs: Mays 14
Asts: Mays 4		 Pts: Castro 21
Rebs: Howell 22
Asts: Howell 5
San Mig Super Coffee leads series, 2–1
Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
Attendance: 12,486
Referees: E. Tankion, P. Balao, A. Herrera

Game 3 was different for both squads, as the game went close up to the last minutes of the game. With Jimmy Alapag struggling, the Tropang Texters, led by Jayson Castro and Ranidel De Ocampo, took the lead 75-71. However, James Mays gave the Mixers a fighting chance after he knocked down a shot while drawing contact, getting the Mixers closer 74-75. With a possible 2-1 lead in the series, Talk 'N Text drew up a play that could run out the clock, however, De Ocampo turned the ball over after Jayson Castro failed to catch his low bounce pass. With a chance to win, the Mixers turned to James Yap, who drilled a long 2-point shot near the corner to give the Mixers the lead 76-75. Jayson Castro got open for a game winning three-point shot but his shot missed, handing the Mixers a 2-1 lead and a chance to close the series.[19]

Game 4
Sports5
May 15
8:00 pm
San Mig Super Coffee Mixers 100, Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 91
Scoring by quarter: 15–25, 23–27, 31–22, 31–17
Pts: Barroca 22
Rebs: Mays 15
Asts: Mays 3		 Pts: Alapag 17
Rebs: Howell 12
Asts: Alapag, Ry. Reyes 5
San Mig Super Coffee wins series, 3–1
PhilSports Arena, Pasig
Attendance: 10,221
Referees: A. Herrera, N. Quilingen, J. Mariano

In Game 4, Jimmy Alapag lead Tropang Texters to a 17-1 lead in the early minutes of the game. At the half, they led 52-38 after KG Canaleta drilled a three right before the buzzer sounded. A 16-0 run by the Mixers, led by rookie Ian Sangalang gave the Mixers their first lead of the game 69-68 near the end of the 3rd quarter. Jayson Castro and Ranidel De Ocampo knocked down 2 three-point shots to give the Texters the lead back, 74-69. The Texters regained momentum as they took the lead 80-71, just a few minutes into the 4th quarter. The core group of the Mixers, however, helped them rally once again to take the lead 93-89 and held on to win the game, 100-91. The Commissioner's Cup title gave the Mixers their 3rd consecutive championship and a chance to capture a rare season sweep, also known as a Grand Slam, with Marqus Blakely as their import. James Yap was hailed Finals' MVP.[5]

Rosters
Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 2014 Commissioner's Cup roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#POBNameHeightWeightCollege
C 1 Howell, Richard (I) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1990-09-26 North Carolina State
PG 3 Alapag, Jimmy (C) 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1977-12-30 CSU San Bernardino
PF 4 Carey, Harvey 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1979-03-18 Sonoma State
PG 5 Reyes, Jai 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 150 lb (68 kg) 1987-02-25 Ateneo
F 7 Baclao, Nonoy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1987-06-15 Ateneo
F 8 Celiz, Robby (R) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 1988-09-07 NU
F 9 Canaleta, Niño 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1982-02-12 University of the East
C/G 10 Reyes, Ryan 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1983-08-10 CSU Fullerton
PG 11 Salamat, Eric 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1988-04-26 SSC-R
G/F 12 Fonacier, Larry 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1982-05-13 Ateneo
C/G 17 Castro, Jayson 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 167 lb (76 kg) 1986-06-30 PCU
F 21 Williams, Kelly 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1982-02-07 Oakland
F/C 24 Reyes, Robert 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1983-03-16 Flagler
F 33 De Ocampo, Ranidel 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1981-12-08 Saint Francis of Assisi
F 42 Seigle, Danny 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1976-06-14 Wagner College
G/F 51 Aban, Aaron 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1982-04-08 Letran
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Team manager
  • Aboy Castro


Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (I) Import
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • (R) Rookie
  • Injured
San Mig Super Coffee Mixers 2014 Commissioner's Cup roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#POBNameHeightWeightCollege
G 2 Melton, Justin (R) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 163 lb (74 kg) Mount Olive
C 4 Reavis, Rafi 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Coppin State
C 5 Holstein, Isaac (R) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 206 lb (93 kg) West Virginia State
SF 6 Cawaling, JR (R) 6 ft 1.75 in (1.87 m) 190 lb (86 kg) FEU
SG 8 Simon, Peter June 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) U of Mindanao
PG 9 Alvarez, Lester (IN) 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 154 lb (70 kg) Adamson
F/C 10 Sangalang, Ian (R) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 212 lb (96 kg) SSC–R
SG 11 Mallari, Alex 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 167 lb (76 kg) Lewis–Clark
PG 14 Barroca, Mark 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) FEU
PF 15 Pingris, Marc 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) PSBA
SG 18 Yap, James 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) UE
SF 19 Gaco, Jerwin 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) De La Salle
G/F 22 Maliksi, Allein  6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) UST
SF 33 Acuña, Val 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 179 lb (81 kg) UE
PF 38 Devance, Joe 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) UTEP
F 40 Mays, James (I) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Clemson
C 95 de Ocampo, Yancy 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Saint Francis of Assisi
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Team manager


Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (I) Import
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • (R) Rookie
  • Injured

Broadcast notes
GameTV5 coverageFox Sports coverage
Play-by-playAnalyst(s)Courtside reportersPlay-by-playAnalyst(s)
Game 1Magoo MarjonQuinito HensonRizza DiazMico HaliliVince Hizon
Game 2Mico HaliliJason WebbApple DavidChiqui ReyesVince Hizon
Game 3Charlie CunaDominic UyErika PadillaChiqui ReyesCharles Tiu
Game 4Magoo MarjonQuinito HensonSel GuevaraAaron AtaydeCharles Tiu
  • Additional Game 4 crew:
    • Trophy presentation: James Velasquez
    • Dugout interviewer: Sel Guevara (only shown on the Cignal HD coverage)
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References
  1. PBA games to be beamed in HD to Cignal subscribers beginning with Commissioner's Cup Finals, Reuben Terrado, spin.ph, May 4, 2014
  2. Lucky #13 for Talk 'N Text as Texters sweep Elasto Painters for finals berth, Job de Leon and Renee Fopalan, GMA News Online, May 2, 2014
  3. Talk ‘N Text escapes GlobalPort to sweep Commissioner’s Cup elimination round Archived 2014-05-15 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, April 22, 2014
  4. Talk ‘N Text sweeps banged-up Rain or Shine to enter Commissioner’s Cup finals Archived 2014-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, May 2, 2014
  5. San Mig Coffee defeats Talk ‘N Text to win Commissioner’s Cup, third straight PBA title Archived 2014-05-18 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, May 15, 2014
  6. Talk 'N Text: The pain of defeat and the challenge of rising again, Naveen Ganglani, Rappler, May 17, 2014
  7. Meralco tops San Mig Coffee, finishes Commissioner’s Cup elims with winning record Archived 2014-05-18 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, April 14, 2014
  8. Rain or Shine, Ginebra battle to avoid bottom playoff position; Alaska faces San Mig Coffee Archived 2014-05-26 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, April 14, 2014
  9. Alaska continues hot run in quarters, pushes San Mig Coffee to the brink Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, April 21, 2014
  10. San Mig Coffee ends Alaska’s title reign, punches return ticket to semis Archived 2014-05-31 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, April 26, 2014
  11. History versus hunger: San Mig Coffee, Air 21 open best-of-five semifinals series Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, April 29, 2014
  12. Air 21 continues surprising run with semis Game One victory over San Mig Coffee Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, April 29, 2014
  13. Air 21 shoots down San Mig Coffee, forces do-or-die Game Five Archived 2014-05-11 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, May 5, 2014
  14. San Mig Coffee pummels Air 21 in semis Game Five, sets up finals rematch with Talk ‘N Text Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, May 7, 2014
  15. Talk ‘N Text routs Ginebra to win 10th straight game, march into semis Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, April 22, 2014
  16. Before Talk N Text, Crispa and Alaska had a shot at historic conference sweep. Find out what happened, "By the Numbers" by Fidel Mangonon III, spin.ph, May 4, 2014
  17. San Mig Coffee shatters Talk ‘N Text streak to draw first blood in finals Archived 2014-05-12 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, May 9, 2014
  18. Jayson Castro shines as Talk ‘N Text strikes back in Game Two against San Mig Coffee Archived 2014-05-14 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, May 11, 2014
  19. Big Game James shoots San Mig Coffee over Talk ‘N Text, one step away from title Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, InterAksyon.com, May 13, 2014
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