DANNY Ildefonso just reminded everybody about his rich championship experience.

Ildefonso hit two big shots down the stretch, including his first-ever buzzer-beater, to lift Petron Blaze to an 89-88 win over heavily-favored Talk N Text Sunday at the start of their PBA Governors Cup title duel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Sunday Salvacion scored a game-high 19 points and Anthony Grundy notched a first PBA career triple-double, but it was Ildefonso’s late-game heroics that helped the Boosters steal the opener of the best-of-seven series.

Ildefonso turned a steal into a fastbreak layup and, following an undergoal stab by Ryan Reyes, scored on a high-arcing baseline jumper that spelled the game difference.

“God na nag-shoot noon,” said the 34-year-old of his game-winner, his first in a league-most 16 finals with the team formerly known as San Miguel Beer which he won seven titles with in a career that started in 1998.

“Nagamit niya ang kanyang experience,” noted Petron coach Ato Agustin of Ildefonso. “He was
our leader inside the court at ipinakita niya iyon.”

The loss was a bitter one to swallow for Talk N Text, which led by as many as 15 points in the second period and had an 85-76 lead, going to the last 3:13 of the game.

Despite the win, however, Agustin maintained the Tropang Texters remain as the favorites going to Game 2 at the Mindanao Civic Center Gym in Tubod, Lanao de Norte.

“Underdog pa rin, kasi undermanned kami,” said Agustin. “Pero I think nakatulong kasi lahat nag-step up.”

The fact his charges did not give up despite the odds and the game deficits give Agustin something to look forward to, however.

“Almost everybody in-expect na 4-0 ang Talk N Text at parang pinagbigyan kami,” he said. “I hope they will continue na pagbigyan kami.”

Jimmy Alapag scored 18 points and had seven assists to lead Talk N Text, which has not lost
back-to-back games since Games 3 and 4 of the season-opening Philippine Cup finals to the same team.

Larry Fonacier came off the bench to add 16 points while the comebacking Ranidel de Ocampo chipped in 13 and Kelly Williams 10 and nine rebounds. But sorely missed was Scottie Reynolds’ usual production.

Reynolds was held down to only four points, a far cry from his five-game average of 21.4 ppg. He went 1-for-10 from the floor and he went to the stripe only off a baseline drive and Paolo Hubalde’s hard foul.

Grundy finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists and also had five steals.

The biggest steal of the game, however, belonged to Arwind Santos, whose double-team with Ildefonso on Fonacier led to the latter’s fastbreak layup and gave Petron the 87-86 edge, 17.4 ticks left.

The last play was not even designed with Ildefonso as the first option, but Grundy found him with a bounce pass after Ali Peek helped Jason Castro double the import.

In all, Talk N Text played a more organized game for the most part, but could not fully shake off Petron and went into the final period with a 74-67 spread, which proved to be too flimsy indeed.

Ildefonso himself started Petron’s final fightback by completing a three-point play and Santos made up for his struggles that limited him to just 12 points with a triple that made it 81-85 before Grundy strung up four free throws to make it an 85-86 game going to the last 22.7 seconds.

De Ocampo, who missed the entire semifinal round due to a broken nose suffered in practice, seemed to be making up for lost time by scattering 11 points and helping TNT take a 55-51 lead at the half.

Fonacier and Alapag also chipped in 10 points apiece, but the Texters still failed to capitalize on a five-minute Petron drought in the second period that had them leading by as much as 52-36.

Grundy was the spark and Salvacion the gunner during the Boosters’ comeback, with the former pulling off two of his four steals in the quarter and issuing two of his four assists and the latter scoring eight points during a 15-2 counter that had them pull within 51-53.

Helping to ease some of the tension gripping the fans was TNT’s Mark Yee, who saw action for only a minute in the second period and was promptly whistled for a foul after giving Grundy an impromptu prostate check.

The scores:

PETRON 89 - Salvacion 19, Grundy 17, Ildefonso 13, Santos 12, Miranda 12, Cabagnot 9, Pennisi 5, Duncil 2, Baclao 0, Hubalde 0.

TALK N' TEXT 88 - Alapag 18, Fonacier 16, De Ocampo 13, Williams 10, Reyes 8, Castro 7, Carey 6, Peek 6, Reynolds 4, Yee 0, Dillinger 0, Aban 0.

Quarters: 32-40, 51-55, 67-74, 89-88

source: PBA