MANILA---No less than Talk ‘N Text gets to show what Smart Gilas Pilipinas is made of when they collide today at the resumption of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Although the national five has acquitted itself well in recent tuneup matches with four PBA teams, the Tropang Texters will be a different foe, having been crowned Philippine Cup champions early this month.

The first game of the two teams expected to figure prominently in the title race is set at 5 p.m.
San Miguel Beer and Air21 collide in the second match at 7:30 p.m.

After beating the Beermen in the title playoffs three weeks ago, the Tropang Texters plunged into practice only 10 days before today’s encounter.

“We’re not yet ready,” said Reyes, who will be going for another title with import Paul Harris, 24, who saw action for the Maine Red Claws in the NBA D-League.

“We had only 10 days of practice. But we will give our best against one of the tournament’s top teams.”

Smart Gilas beat Alaska, San Miguel Beer and Meralco while playing to a tie with Barangay Ginebra in tuneup games recently.

The Nationals will be bannered by 6-foot-10 Marcus Douthit, the tallest reinforcement in the tournament. All the imports stand no taller than 6-4.

Only the signature of President Aquino on the naturalization papers of Douthit is being awaited to make the
American eligible for the Fiba Asia Championship on Sept. 15 to 25 in Wuhan, China, where the champion qualifies for the 2012 London Olympics.

Reyes has seen Smart Gilas up close minus Douthit, having served as national team head coach Rajko Toroman’s assistant in the Guangzhou Asian Games three months ago.

But Toroman said Gilas is experiencing minor setbacks in its second PBA stint as guard JV Casio (groin) and 6-foot-9 forward Japeth Aguilar (knee) are not 100 percent fit.

June Navarro, Phil. Daily Inquirer