By WAYLON GALVEZ

Games Wednesday (Araneta Coliseum)
4:50 p.m. — Talk ’N Text vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. — Coca-Cola vs Sta. Lucia

Talk ’N Text, the reigning Philippine Cup champion, parades a new import in Gary Forbes Wednesday when the Tropang Texters tangle with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Motolite-PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Texters and the Painters collide in the 5 p.m. curtain raiser of another doubleheader which will pit Sta. Lucia Realty against Coca-Cola at 7:30.

Rain or Shine is coming off an impressive 82-78 win over erstwhile unbeaten San Miguel Beer in Tacloban City last Saturday. The Painters’ win snapped the Beermen’s eight-game winning spree and ended their own four-game losing skid.

The Elasto Painters are now just half-a-game behind Purefoods and Sta. Lucia, which share second spot at 6-4.

Talk ’N Text, on the other hand, holds a 5-5 card, the same record of defending champion Ginebra, after dropping its last two games, including a 90-97 loss to the Kings last Friday where they played with an all-Filipino roster.

Tiras Wade, the former TNT import, last played in an 87-98 loss to San Miguel last Wednesday, where he struggled with his shooting, 2-for-15 including 0-for-4 from beyond the arc, and had a run-in with TNT coach Chot Reyes and referee Throngy Aldava after the game.

Wade was penalized P30,000 by PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios.

Replacing Wade is Forbes, a 6-foot-5, 24-year-old wingman from the University of Massachusetts who recently played for the Sioux Falls Sky Force in the NBA D-League.

“We don’t expect too much (from Forbes) because he just arrived (Sunday night) and it’s his first game,” Reyes said.

“It will depend on how the locals will play. Anyway, they’re the ones who carried us the past three games,” added Reyes, whose team downed Rain or Shine, 102-96, in their first meeting this conference last April 20.

Forbes, who averaged 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game with the Sioux Force, will team-up with TNT locals like Jimmy Alapag, Mark Cardona, Ranidel de Ocampo, as well as rookies Jason Castro and Jared Dillinger.

Rain or Shine mentor Caloy Garcia said that if they can toughen their defense, they have a good chance of avenging that setback to TNT last month and improve their playoff spots.

“We just have to keep our intensity high, particularly on defense because Talk ’N Text is a high-scoring team. If we can limit their scoring, we have a good chance of winning,” said Garcia, who will rely on the leadership of import Jai Lewis.

Others expected to step-up for Rain or Shine are rookies Gabe Norwood, Sol Mecado and TY Tang, veterans Jay-Arr Reyes, Ryan Arana, Rob Wainwright, Eddie Laure, Don Dulay, Jireh Ibanez and Allan Salangsang.


Source: http://mb.com.ph/articles/205078/with-a-new-import-tnt-hopes-best