MANILA -- Talk ‘N Text crawled back from a 30-point deficit and banked on Mark Cardona’s explosive game to carve out a 118-105 win over Burger King in the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup Friday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Cardona sizzled with a conference-high 40 points, 24 of them coming in the second half to help Tropang Texters recover from a sloppy first period.

The victory was Tropang Texters’s second straight since winning over Ginebra Gin Kings Wednesday night to end their first-round campaign with a 6-3 win-loss mark.

Cardona also had 10 rebounds and shot 15-of-20 from the field.

“After kami malamangan nang malaki, nothing to lose na kami kaya nilaro na lang namin ‘yung laro namin,” said the former La Salle star who was two points shy of matching his career high he established last season.

Jimmy Alapag added 15 markers while Ali Peek chipped in 13 for the defending champion, which also got 10 points apiece from the De Ocampo brothers, Yancy and Ranidel.

The younger De Ocampo brother was ejected in the game after committing flagrant foul penalty in the first half.

The Whoppers had a blazing start, erecting a 38-71 cushion after the first quarter and raised it to 30 before Talk ‘N Text drew surprise contribution from seldom-used Pong Escobal in the second period.

Escobal, a former San Beda stalwart, sparked the Tropang Texters’ comeback in the second quarter after hitting 7 straight points. He finished with 9 markers, all in the second quarter.

Cardona teamed up with Jimmy Alapag, Yancy de Ocampo and Ali Peek in the third canto and outscored Burger King, 34-19, to grab the upper hand at 87-84.

Jason Castro scored back-to-back baskets in the final period that ignited an 11-6 exchange capped by Cardona’s three-point play off Gary David for a 98-90 lead with 7:44 remaining.

The Whoppers quickly got back in the game with its own 10-6 burst capped by back-to-back triples of Ronjay Buenafe and Chico Lanete, threatening the Tropang Texters at 100-104, less than four minutes left in the game.

But Cardona delivered the dagger with a booming three-pointer to give the Tropang Texters some breathing room, 107-100, 3:33 left.

David led Burger King with 24 points while Buenafe and Beau Belga contributed 15 and 14 markers respectively for coach Yeng Guiao.

Kings end two-game slide
Ronald Tubid fired a career-high 33 points to power the undermanned Barangay Ginebra to a 113-104 win over Coca-Cola.

Tubid hit 8-of-15 from the three-point zone, three came in the fourth that gave the Kings a 92-78 spread with over minutes left in the game.

The Tigers, through the efforts of Mark Macapagal and veteran Dennis Espino, countered with a 14-5 run to stay within striking distance, 92-97, 4:08 remaining.

Tubid banged in another three-pointer to make it 99-92 for the Kings, who played minus Jayjay Helterbrand, Celino Cruz, Mark Caguioa and Junthy Valenzuela due to injuries.

Ginebra also lost another key player midway the game as Willy Wilson was ejected for elbowing Coke rookie Chris Ross at the back of his head, resulting to flagrant foul penalty two.

Macapagal finished with a conference-high 27 points highlighted by five triples but it was not enough to save Coke from absorbing its fifth straight loss and go down deeper in the team standing with 1-8.

The Kings, meanwhile, and finished its first-round campaign with a 6-3 slate.