MANILA, Philippines — Talk ’N Text won its third PBA championship Friday and promptly rewarded its players and head coach with a one-month bonus and a brand-new Toyota Vios car each.

“Ang bilis ng balita ah,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes Saturday, still groggy from a night of merrymaking.

Reyes said the car came as a pleasant surprise, but nothing was sweeter than winning the championship over the league’s most accomplished franchise.

“Before the start of the finals, I thought that San Miguel was the better team, but after we won the first two games, I knew we could go all the way,” said Reyes.

It was a redemption of sorts for the flamboyant TNT coach who agonized over the Texters’ string of misfortunes last season.

The memory of their 3-2 defeat to Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals last year came back to haunt Reyes after the Texters won the first two games against the Beermen.

“After we won the first two games, I reminded the boys about what happened last year. I asked them, are we going to let this happen again?” Reyes said.

The Texters dropped three straight games to the Kings, including Game 4 where Reyes led a team walkout in protest over what they believed was bad officiating.

The quarterfinal exit was followed by a painful Game 7 loss to Alaska Milk in the semifinals of the PBA Fiesta Cup.

Reyes said even after the Beermen tied the series, he remained confident of getting the job done.

“We lost Game 3 because Ryan (Reyes) was absent. Ryan is an important part of the rotation. We could have won Game 4 if not for the missed free throws. I also had to replace Ryan in the last two minutes because of cramps,” he said.

In the end, Reyes said they won the championship because of their fresh legs and conditioning.

Ryan skipped Game 3 to attend the funeral of his brother who died in a vehicular accident in the United States.

Reyes, who earned his sixth PBA title, paid tribute to his point guards – Jimmy Alapag and Jason Castro.

“Nothing compares with them,” said Reyes. “Jimmy hits the three-point shots while Jason penetrates. With both of them on the court, they’re unbeatable.”

Reyes pointed out that they gave up Jay Washington – “the league’s top player” – to get Castro.

Reyes said the team has the depth and talent to deliver in the next three years.

“This is the kind of team I envisioned when I accepted the job. We have achieved the right balance. Perhaps, the only thing lacking is one big man to relieve Ali (Peek). But with the expected return of Peter Aguilar, I think we can still contend for the years to come,” Reyes said.

Reyes cited rookie SMB coach Ato Agustin for his splendid job.

“They (Beermen) did a good job to tie the series. They tried some new things last Friday, but they could not disrupt the focus and determination of the boys,” he said.

Reyes said it’s unfortunate that the Beermen had only a day to make adjustments after losing Game 5.

“It would have been different had they were given more time to prepare,” he said.

Reyes, an assistant coach of the Smart Gilas national team, admitted to picking up some ideas from Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman.

“I borrowed some of his defensive principles,” he said. “Coaching is a never-ending learning process.”

After a 10-day break, the Texters resume practice on Valentine’s Day.

Rey Bancod, Manila Bulletin