2003 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals season

Last updated
2003   Talk 'N Text Phone Pals season
Head coach Paul Woolpert
Joel Banal
Ariel Vanguardia (interim basis in last 2 conferences)
General Manager Frankie Lim
Owner(s) Smart Communications
All-Filipino Cup results
Record1913
(59.4%)
Place1st
Playoff finish Champions
Invitational Cup results
Record31
(75%)
PlaceN/A
Playoff finishN/A
Reinforced Conference results
Record910
(47.4%)
Place3rd
Playoff finishSemis (lost to Coca Cola)
Talk 'N Text Phone Pals seasons
  2002
2004–05  

The 2003 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals season was the 14th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and third season under the management of Smart Communications.

Contents

Draft picks

Transactions

Players Added

Via Draft

  • Jimmy Alapag
  • Harvey Carey
  • William Villa

Via Free Agency

Players Lost

Via Free Agency

Via Trade

  • Gilbert Demape (To Purefoods and their 6th pick; acquired the Hotdogs' number 4 pick)

Occurrences

February 27: PBA Suspends Asi Taulava for two games after he was found to have traces of Marijuana during a mandated test conducted by league physician Ben Salud. [1]

April 12: Phone Pals coach Paul Woolpert was fired by the management and named assistant coach Joel Banal as his interim replacement.

May 6: Forward Norman Gonzales was also tested positive of banned substance, he was the fifth player to be suspended indefinitely by the PBA and was ordered to undergo a six-month rehabilitation. [2]

August 15: Talk 'N Text acting head coach Ariel Vanguardia, who took over from Joel Banal, when the latter decided to honor his commitment with the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP, was slapped with a five-game suspension and a P50,000 fine while the team P250,000 in a game-sham that took place on August 13 when the Phone Pals tried to extend a winning ballgame against Red Bull in overtime by deliberately shooting on the Barako's goal, Talk 'N Text representative to the PBA board Ricky Vargas said the team will appeal the five-game suspension to Commissioner Noli Eala since the Phone Pals cannot hire an interim coach for five games starting the Third Conference. [3]

Championship

The Talk 'N Text Phone Pals won their first championship in the All-Filipino Cup by defeating the defending champions Coca Cola Tigers. The Phone Pals lost the first two games of the series but won the next four to clinch their first title in 13 years, not counting the 1998 Centennial Cup triumph. Asi Taulava was voted finals MVP of the series.

Awards

Roster

2003 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#POBNameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY–MM–DD)From
F 00 Flag of the United States.svg William Villa 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) BYU–Hawaii
G 1 Flag of the Philippines.svg Bong Ravena 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) UE
G 3 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Alapag 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Cal State San Bernardino
F 4 Flag of the United States.svg Harvey Carey 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Sonoma State
F 6 Flag of the Philippines.svg Noli Locsin 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) De La Salle
G 8 Flag of the Philippines.svg Patrick Fran 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) UST
F 13 Flag of the Philippines.svg Mark Telan 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) De La Salle
F 15 Flag of the Philippines.svg Expedito Falcasantos 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Cebu
F 19 Flag of the Philippines.svg Norman Gonzales 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) San Beda
F 21 Flag of the United States.svg Damian Cantrell  (I)6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) San Francisco
G/F 28 Flag of the Philippines.svg Jojo Manalo 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) UPHSD
F 33 Flag of the Philippines.svg Victor Pablo 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Far Eastern
C 38 Flag of the Philippines.svg Angelo David 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Far Eastern
G 42 Flag of the Philippines.svg Donbel Belano 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Visayas
C 88 Flag of Tonga.svg Asi Taulava 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) BYU–Hawaii
G 99 Flag of the Philippines.svg Jonathan De Guzman 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Adamson
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (I) Import
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Game results

All-Filipino Cup

DateOpponentScoreTop scorerVenueLocation
February 26Shell74–77Philsports ArenaPasig
March 2Alaska78–96Alapag (24 pts)Araneta ColiseumQuezon City
March 9San Miguel83–79Ravena (21 pts)Araneta ColiseumQuezon City
March 14Sta.Lucia72–71Alapag (16 pts)Philsports ArenaPasig
March 21 (Ordered replay)Brgy.Ginebra117–122 2OTAlapag (40 pts)Araneta ColiseumQuezon City
March 26Shell104–92Taulava (46 pts)Makati ColiseumMakati City
March 29Red Bull88–94Taulava (27 pts)Cebu City
April 2Purefoods83–85Philsports ArenaPasig
April 9FedEX93–86 OTTaulava (38 pts)Philsports ArenaPasig
April 12Coca-Cola78–79San Fernando, Pampanga
April 16Sta.Lucia84–77Philsports ArenaPasig
April 22 (Replay)Brgy.Ginebra90–87Alapag (26 pts)Araneta ColiseumQuezon City
April 25Red BullPhilsports ArenaPasig
April 30Alaska89–88Makati ColiseumMakati City
May 4Coca-Cola91–87Taulava (30 pts)Araneta ColiseumQuezon City
May 9FedEx105–116Philsports ArenaPasig
May 11Brgy.Ginebra82–99Alapag (21 pts)Araneta ColiseumQuezon City
May 21PurefoodsPhilsports ArenaPasig
May 28San Miguel102–106Taulava (31 pts)Philsports ArenaPasig

  Win
  Win via OT
  loss
  loss via OT

References

  1. "PBA bares penalties for drug users". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  2. "TNT forward fails drug test". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  3. "Mockery to cost TNT heavy fines". Philippine Daily Inquirer.