The Rundown

The Blur is proving to be a handful
even for defensive ace Tubid

The Barako Bull Energy went into Game 2 thinking they figured out the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters puzzle: hit them hard on defense and bang them around on offense. The minute the first quarter ended, they found themselves with more questions than answers.

Yes, the Energy hit the Texters hard. Import Gabe Freeman exploded for 15 first quarter points. But the Texters weren't derailed. They were hanging tough, leading even. They got hit, but they quickly got back up and acted as though nothing happened. These weren't the shaky Texters of Game 1, these were the title-happy/ hungry group that has been rummaging through the PBA for the last 2 and a half seasons.


Donnel Harvey got hit and ended up with a bloody nose, but the locals carried the fight. Instead of waiting for the Energy to set up shop on defense, the Texters were pushing the ball relentlessly as they've done countless times. The KKS Doctor took the lead once Harvey was out, as he always seems to do whenever there's no import, and was dropping 3s on fools like he was a brown Dirk Nowitzki. Jimmy Alapag was looking for his shot early, Ryan Reyes was being Ryan Reyes and Jayson Castro was, well, The Blur.

The minute The Blur wins an individual accolade, KKS will start calling him The Untouchable One based on how he darts through people through traffic and gets to the rim like Kung Fu Panda's Po going for that cookie jar. No one's stopping him, not even the pesky, physical, "touchy" defense of Wyne Arboleda.

And while respected commentator Quinito Henson couldn't keep his man crush for Kelly Williams in check, let's make one thing perfectly clear: the Texters didn't win because Williams inspired them to. They won because they wanted to. The Doctor wanted to give Danny Seigle the business after being embarrassed in Game 1. Alapag's pride was hurt so he appeased himself by jacking threes from mid court. Reyes' batteries looked to be charged so he was back to his swiping best.

Castro? This guy is a beast. If Calvin Abueva is a relentless rebounding machine in the NCAA, then Castro is his PBA, point guard countepart. Attack the rim at all times and take threes when you're open. Nasty really.

Not even Jarred Dillinger's ejection could impede the Texters' momentum. Wave after wave of offense came and just drowned whatever rally the Energy could come up with. It's also a wonder why Energy coach Junel Baculi gambled in the 3rd quarter and kept Freeman glued to the bench with only 3 fouls to his name.

The minute Freeman sat down, the Energy started to crumble. Dorian Pena looked sluggish and old-- far from the rebounding monster in Game 1. Don Allado had a throwback, DLSU performance, but he couldn't carry the load for the Energy. Seigle was also stuck in neutral, thanks in part to Kelly Williams and Jarred Dillinger's suffocating ball pressure. He had some shots, but most if not all were heavily contested. Even The Doctor stepped in to make sure that Seigle wouldn't be dropping another cool 18 points off the bench this time around.

Is it time to hit the panic button for the Energy?

Yes.

This is an old team that cannot afford to go down 1-2. They're easily demoralized and could lose momentum specially after a telling blowout loss.

Leo Najorda needs to be inserted in the starting five. Hell, Willie Miller needs to sit down at this point.

The 2 time PBA MVP is looking like he's on cruise control, never really forcing the issue and scoring mostly on gimmes or threes. That's pretty big considering the man guarding him, Jimmy Alapag, isn't that great a defender is about 2 sizes smaller horizontally and vertically.

The Energy's best five so far in two games are clearly: Arboleda, Tubid, Freeman, Najorda and Allado. This writer would've put Seigle in there, but now that Williams is back on the floor full time, we doubt that he could be as effective with those low-release shots of his.

Also, Jimbo Aquino needs to play. The Energy could definitely use the, well, energy from his young legs and sharpshooting skills. No need to make plays for him, just make him a kickout option for the slashing Freeman who, right now, looks to be a little too iso-happy for his own good.

The biggest thing going into Game 3 of course is that the Energy cannot afford to run with the Texters. Easier said than done yes, but it comes with a real simple solution: get the rebounds.

Gang rebound, box out, whatever. The Energy have a ton of enforcers in their fold to take care of that the next time around, it disallows the Texters from running and also from getting those easy putbacks and second chances which they did a lot in tonight's game.

Also, don't be afraid to give away fouls to stop fastbreak opportunities. It happened in back to back sequences in the third that led to the Texters' lead ballooning to 20 points. Seigle and Allado were both at fault on that one. Definitely wasn't the time to hold back on those fouls.