BY NOLI CORTEZ

TALK N Text rediscovered its fiery touch to handily beat Alaska 92-73 last night and make its hole shallower in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup championship series at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Texters got off to a fast start and poured on the heat in the succeeding periods to finally earn the breakthrough win after harrowing losses in the best-of-seven duel’s first two games.

"All we wanted coming in was to get one," said TNT coach Chot Reyes.

Mac-Mac Cardona scattered 23 points to lead TNT’s balanced attack that also saw Jimmy Alapag score 19 and Jared Dillinger, scoreless in a 91-100 loss in Game 2 last Friday, wound up with 15. Harvey Carey added 11 and a gamehigh 14 rebounds.

Larry Fonacier came off the bench for 13 points, the same output by Sonny Thoss and Reynel Hugnatan, who also had 12 rebounds, but Alaska sorely missed the infectious games of LA enorio and Willie Miller most.

Tenorio, coming off 17-point, 11-assist Game 2 performance that came after a career-high 27 points in the opener, went scoreless for the game. He has not had such a dry spell since an 88-92 loss to Rain or Shine last Nov. 19. 

For his part, Miller wound up with just 11 points after being held scoreless in the second half.

With their leading energy-givers down, the Aces had little else to turn to.

The final score reflected little of TN’s dominance in practically all aspects of the game, picking up from where it left off in the first half by leading by as much as 75-45 in the last 3:02 of the third period. 

It was the kind of explosive game Alaska coach Tim Cone expected from TNT. But he couldn’t have imagined the kind of thrashing his team got, not even in his wildest dreams.

The Aces have not had such a beating in the conference since an 80-100 loss to Red Bull last Dec. 10 and have not had a worse defeat in the finals since getting drubbed by Gordon’s Gin 79-106 in Game 6 of the 1997 Commissioner’s Cup.

That all leaves Cone searching for answers come Game 4 of the finals supported by Dickies, Solar Sports, Gateway Cineplex-10, Alaska, Talk N Text and Araneta Center set Wednesday also at the Big Dome.