The team was first owned by Pepsi Philippines of Luis Francisco R. Lorenzo and was granted an expansion franchise prior to the 1990 PBA season. The Pepsi Bottlers also used the names 7-Up Bottlers and Pepsi Mega Hotshots in their campaigns, netting no championships.
In 1996, telecommunications company Pilipino Telephone Corporation bought the franchise and has since owned the team. After the franchise was bought, it was then renamed to the Mobiline Cellulars and later the Mobiline Phone Pals which won the special 1998 PBA Centennial Cup. After Piltel became an MVNO in April 2000, the team was again renamed in 2001, this time as the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals, after a prepaid cellular phone service. They have since won two titles and remains as one of the league's powerhouses. In 2008, the team changed their moniker from Phone Pals to Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, and in the process winning the team's second championship via the 2008-09 PBA Philippine Cup.
(According to Manila Bulletin)
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Cup champion Talk ‘N Text handily beat Air21, 118-104, Wednesday night to complete a sweep of their best-of-five semifinal series and clinch the first Finals slot in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
TNT import Paul Harris again led the attack with 28 points and nine rebounds while veteran point guard Jimmy Alapag poured in 27 points as the Tropang Texters broke free in the third quarter en route to their 10th Finals appearance and second straight after winning the previous all-Filipino conference.
Former Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kelly Williams was also big for the Texters, unloading a double-double performance of 12 points and 11 boards as the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned franchise closed out the series in Game 3 to move closer to a third PBA title and first in an import-laden tournament.
TNT will face in a best-of-seven Finals series the victor in the other semis pairing pitting Ginebra and Smart-Gilas Pilipinas.
The Texters used a 7-0 attack to break a 44-all deadlock in the second period, before a mighty 17-5 blast put them at a shouting distance, 68-49 in the third.
The lead ballooned to 26 points, 84-58, on two free throws by back-up guard Larry Fonacier, who came off the bench to contribute 19 points highlighted by a 4-of-5 shooting from the three-point arc early in the final frame.
Air21 managed to chop the lead down to 13 points on several occasions but Alapag was always there to douse the Express’ rally, unloading 14 points in the fourth including key free throws and booming threes in the final stretch.
Despite the sweep, TNT coach Chot Reyes said the series wasn’t actually an easy one.
“We have an expression on our team, ‘don’t exhale’,” said Reyes, who barrowed the same philosophy of Miami Heat Fil-Am coach Erik Spoelstra. “Playing a team like Air21, we took a big deep breath, don’t exhale, just keep pushing.”
“We can’t let our guard down against a team like this. This is also our preparation (for the Finals) whether that’s Ginebra or Smart-Gilas Pilipinas. We can take a breath a little bit, take a rest and recover, then get strong and be ready to whoever we play,” Reyes said of the win, their 11th straight.
The Kings lead the national team, 2-0, in their five-game series. Game 3 was being played at presstime. If Ginebra wins, it will advance to the finals and Game 1 of the Finals is set Sunday in the same venue.
Reyes is on his 12th championship stint and is eyeing his seventh PBA title. Reyes is tied at fifth with Tommy Manotoc, for the most number of titles won although he is already the first and so far only coach to win two championships with three different teams (Purefoods and Coca-Cola).
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