By Ivan Saldajeno
QUEZON CITY--One day before his birthday, Matt Rosser led Talk 'n Text's escape from a huge Blackwater upset.
Rosser sparked the Tropang Texters' early fourth quarter assault to complete a comeback against the Elite, 98-91, in a PBA Governors' Cup match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday night.
In an Independence Day battle between teams looking to get free from their respective slumps, it appeared that Blackwater was on its way to "freedom" as it opened a surprise 32-16 lead against TNT early in the second quarter.
TNT, however, slowly chipped the lead away, and a 16-5 run led ignited by Rosser gave the team an 86-78 advantage midway to the fourth.
The Elite tried to take the lead back, but they could only come to within four, the last at 89-93, and Ranidel De Ocampo fired three crucial triples to seal the come-from-behind win for the Tropang Texters.
Rosser finished with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting and nine rebounds off the bench, while Larry Fonacier added 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting and two assists for TNT, which ended a four-game losing skid.
Brian Heruela made 21 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, while Marcus Cousin had 16 points and nine rebounds in his debut for cellar-dwelling Blackwater.
Box Scores:
Talk N Text 98--Rosser 21, Fonacier 20, Dahgles 15, De Ocampo 14, Seigle 10, Pettigrew 7, Castro 7, Williams 4, Carey 0, Miller 0, Aban 0
Blackwater 91--Heruela 21, Cousin 16, Faundo 14, Gamalinda 10, Cervantes 9, Celiz 7, Bulawan 5, Ballesteros 5, Acuna 3, Erram 1, Reyes 0, Laure 0
Quarterscores: 16-24, 41-50, 70-71, 98-91
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