Talk n Text won't give up but Sta. Lucia Realty won't be denied.
The Tropang Texters yielded in the end, thus, staying winless since winning the recent KFC PBA Philippine Cup.
Anthony Johnson, banking on his familiarity with his team and the PBA brand of play, showed up Tiras Wade, and the Realtors beat out the Texters in a furious battle, eking out a 106-100 win Thursday in the 2009 Motolite Fiesta Conference at the Ynares Center in Pasig.
Johnson, a former Coca-Cola import who reinforced the Realtors in a Brunei invitational tourney in 2007, erupted for 31 points, including clutch baskets scuttling Talk n Text's bid at endgame.
The Realtors actually led by as many as 16, 88-72, early in the fourth but faced a fierce TnT fightback in the homestretch anchored by Wade, Jimmy Alapag and Jarred Dillinger.
The Texters even had a chance to force overtime at 100-103 but Ranidel de Ocampo misfired a potential game-tying three-pointer.
Sta. Lucia, thus, sprang back from a loss to Burger King in the tournament opener in Dumaguete Saturday while Talk n Text suffered a second straight defeat following a blowout by Purefoods Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Realtors broke into the win column, pulling the rug from under the fancied all-Filipino champion despite the continued absence of injured key players Dennis Espino and Ryan Reyes.
Kelly Williams, Joseph Yeo, Marlou Aquino, Paolo Mendoza and Norman Gonzales were of big help with all of them finishing in double figures.
But to Johnson belonged the game's biggest shots.
The sweet-shooting import rifled in three straight baskets as the Realtors surged ahead to stay at 102-97 with time down to 27 seconds.
Down by 13 at 81-94, the Texters rode high on the exploits of Wade, Jason Castro, Alapag and Dillinger as TnT stormed ahead at 97-96.
Johnson, however, would again build a lead for Sta. Lucia, serving as their cushion in Talk n Text's make-or-break bid at endgame.
Johnson himself starred in a run that had the Realtors erecting their 16-point spread.
Earlier, Mendoza sparked a vicious SLR attack coming off the bench in the second quarter, giving the Realtors a 48-41 margin at halftime.
The Tropang Texters yielded in the end, thus, staying winless since winning the recent KFC PBA Philippine Cup.
Anthony Johnson, banking on his familiarity with his team and the PBA brand of play, showed up Tiras Wade, and the Realtors beat out the Texters in a furious battle, eking out a 106-100 win Thursday in the 2009 Motolite Fiesta Conference at the Ynares Center in Pasig.
Johnson, a former Coca-Cola import who reinforced the Realtors in a Brunei invitational tourney in 2007, erupted for 31 points, including clutch baskets scuttling Talk n Text's bid at endgame.
The Realtors actually led by as many as 16, 88-72, early in the fourth but faced a fierce TnT fightback in the homestretch anchored by Wade, Jimmy Alapag and Jarred Dillinger.
The Texters even had a chance to force overtime at 100-103 but Ranidel de Ocampo misfired a potential game-tying three-pointer.
Sta. Lucia, thus, sprang back from a loss to Burger King in the tournament opener in Dumaguete Saturday while Talk n Text suffered a second straight defeat following a blowout by Purefoods Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Realtors broke into the win column, pulling the rug from under the fancied all-Filipino champion despite the continued absence of injured key players Dennis Espino and Ryan Reyes.
Kelly Williams, Joseph Yeo, Marlou Aquino, Paolo Mendoza and Norman Gonzales were of big help with all of them finishing in double figures.
But to Johnson belonged the game's biggest shots.
The sweet-shooting import rifled in three straight baskets as the Realtors surged ahead to stay at 102-97 with time down to 27 seconds.
Down by 13 at 81-94, the Texters rode high on the exploits of Wade, Jason Castro, Alapag and Dillinger as TnT stormed ahead at 97-96.
Johnson, however, would again build a lead for Sta. Lucia, serving as their cushion in Talk n Text's make-or-break bid at endgame.
Johnson himself starred in a run that had the Realtors erecting their 16-point spread.
Earlier, Mendoza sparked a vicious SLR attack coming off the bench in the second quarter, giving the Realtors a 48-41 margin at halftime.
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