# 2007–08 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals season

The 2007–08 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals season was the 18th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Phone Pals' notable move in this season was trading its superstar Asi Taulava to Coca-Cola Tigers for Ali Peek. Due to Peek's defensive specialization the move made them the "team to beat" for the 2008 Fiesta Conference, but they failed to make it past the wildcard phase. He won the Sportsmanship Award that season and finished the season as second in the league in blocks per game.
Also, Derrick Pumaren was fired and Chot Reyes was appointed to be the head coach at the start of the Fiesta Conference, and Reyes booked his first win as head coach by defeating Welcoat Dragons by 36 points, 131-95. The two coaches are the top candidates to replace Joel Banal in 2006, ended up choosing Pumaren.
Also, import Terrence Leather was having an altercation with Jondan Salvador by throwing him a ball, and with James Yap, as Yap attempted to kick his leg from behind, but only jersey shorts was kicked, and Leather rushed through Yap, only stopped by Peek. Leather paid Php 62,400 fine with no suspension occurred.

## Key dates

* August 19: The 2007 PBA draft took place in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

## Draft picks

Air21 returned a draftpick to the Phone Pals (Yousif Aljamal).

## Performance
### Philippine Cup
#### Team standings

| Pos | Teamvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Qualification |
| 1 | Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants | 12 | 6 | .667 | — | Advance to semifinals |
| 2 | Sta. Lucia Realtors | 12 | 6 | .667 | — | Advance to semifinals |
| 3 | Alaska Aces | 11 | 7 | .611 | 1 | Advance to quarterfinals |
| 4 | Red Bull Barako | 11 | 7 | .611 | 1 | Advance to quarterfinals |
| 5 | Magnolia Beverage Masters | 10 | 8 | .556 | 2 | Advance to quarterfinals |
| 6 | Talk 'N Text Phone Pals | 9 | 9 | .500 | 3 | Advance to wildcard round |
| 7 | Barangay Ginebra Kings | 8 | 10 | .444 | 4 | Advance to wildcard round |
| 8 | Air21 Express | 7 | 11 | .389 | 5 | Advance to wildcard round |
| 9 | Coca-Cola Tigers | 7 | 11 | .389 | 5 | Advance to wildcard round |
| 10 | Welcoat Dragons | 3 | 15 | .167 | 9 | |
* 1 2 Head-to-head record: Purefoods 2–0 Sta. Lucia
* 1 2 Head-to-head record: Alaska 1–1 Red Bull (Alaska +29)
* 1 2 Head-to-head record: Air21 2–0 Coca-Cola

#### Schedule

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 |
| Team ╲ Game | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Air21 Express | MBM | ALA | RBB | Coke | SLR | PF | BGK | TNT | RBB | WEL | BGK | ALA | PF | TNT | Coke | MBM | WEL | SLR |
| Alaska Aces | TNT | A21 | Coke | BGK | WEL | MBM | RBB | PF | WEL | Coke | BGK | SLR | A21 | SLR | MBM | RBB | TNT | PF |
| Barangay Ginebra Kings | RBB | TNT | WEL | ALA | PF | SLR | A21 | MBM | Coke | WEL | ALA | A21 | SLR | MBM | Coke | PF | RBB | TNT |
| Coca-Cola Tigers | WEL | ALA | MBM | A21 | PF | SLR | TNT | BGK | ALA | SLR | RBB | MBM | WEL | BGK | A21 | PF | RBB | TNT |
| Magnolia Beverage Masters | A21 | SLR | PF | Coke | TNT | ALA | WEL | BGK | RBB | PF | TNT | RBB | Coke | BGK | ALA | A21 | SLR | WEL |
| Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants | SLR | TNT | MBM | WEL | BGK | Coke | A21 | RBB | ALA | SLR | MBM | TNT | WEL | A21 | BGK | Coke | ALA | RBB |
| Red Bull Barako | BGK | WEL | A21 | SLR | TNT | ALA | PF | MBM | TNT | A21 | Coke | MBM | SLR | WEL | ALA | BGK | Coke | PF |
| Sta. Lucia Realtors | PF | MBM | TNT | RBB | A21 | BGK | Coke | WEL | PF | Coke | ALA | BGK | RBB | ALA | TNT | WEL | MBM | A21 |
| Talk 'N Text Phone Pals | ALA | PF | BGK | SLR | MBM | RBB | WEL | Coke | A21 | RBB | MBM | PF | WEL | A21 | SLR | ALA | BGK | Coke |
| Welcoat Dragons | Coke | RBB | BGK | PF | ALA | TNT | MBM | SLR | ALA | BGK | A21 | PF | TNT | Coke | RBB | SLR | A21 | MBM |

#### Bracket

| Wildcard phase (single elimination) | Wildcard phase (single elimination) | Wildcard phase (single elimination) | Wildcard phase (single elimination) | Wildcard phase (single elimination) | Wildcard phase (single elimination) | Quarterfinals (best-of-3) | Quarterfinals (best-of-3) | Quarterfinals (best-of-3) | Semifinals (best-of-7) | Semifinals (best-of-7) | Semifinals (best-of-7) | Finals (best-of-7) | Finals (best-of-7) | Finals (best-of-7) |
| 6 | Talk 'N Text | 73 | | | | | | | 3 | Alaska | 3 | |
| 9 | Coca-Cola | 81 | | | | 3 | Alaska | 2 | 2 | Sta. Lucia | 4 | |
| | | | 9 | Coca-Cola | 109 | 9 | Coca-Cola | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Air21 | 102 | | | | | | | 2 | Sta. Lucia | 4 |
| 7 | Brgy. Ginebra | 110 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Purefoods | 3 |
| 8 | Air21 | 119 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | Purefoods | 4 | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| | | | | | | 4 | Red Bull | 2 | 4 | Red Bull | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Magnolia | 0 | | 3 | Alaska | 104 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Red Bull | 125 |
* view
* talk

#### Wildcard phase
##### First round

* ABC
* January 18
* Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

### Fiesta Conference
#### Team standings

| Pos | Teamvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Qualification |
| 1 | Air21 Express | 12 | 6 | .667 | — | Advance to semifinals |
| 2 | Red Bull Barako | 11 | 7 | .611 | 1 | Advance to semifinals |
| 3 | Barangay Ginebra Kings | 10 | 8 | .556 | 2 | Advance to quarterfinals |
| 4 | Coca-Cola Tigers | 10 | 8 | .556 | 2 | Advance to quarterfinals |
| 5 | Magnolia Beverage Masters | 10 | 8 | .556 | 2 | Advance to quarterfinals |
| 6 | Alaska Aces | 9 | 9 | .500 | 3 | Advance to wildcard round |
| 7 | Talk 'N Text Phone Pals | 9 | 9 | .500 | 3 | Advance to wildcard round |
| 8 | Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants | 8 | 10 | .444 | 4 | Advance to wildcard round |
| 9 | Sta. Lucia Realtors | 7 | 11 | .389 | 5 | Advance to wildcard round |
| 10 | Welcoat Dragons | 4 | 14 | .222 | 8 | |
* 1 2 3 Head-to-head differential: Barangay Ginebra +14, Coca-Cola +4, Magnolia −18
* 1 2 Head-to-head record: Alaska 1–1 Talk 'N Text (Alaska +9)

#### Schedule

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 |
| Team ╲ Game | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Air21 Express | WEL | RBB | PF | Coke | TNT | ALA | BGK | SLR | Coke | MBM | BGK | RBB | SLR | ALA | TNT | WEL | MBM | PF |
| Alaska Aces | SLR | BGK | MBM | WEL | RBB | A21 | TNT | PF | Coke | RBB | TNT | PF | A21 | WEL | SLR | Coke | MBM | BGK |
| Barangay Ginebra Kings | RBB | ALA | SLR | Coke | MBM | PF | A21 | TNT | WEL | A21 | MBM | RBB | SLR | PF | Coke | TNT | WEL | ALA |
| Coca-Cola Tigers | TNT | PF | WEL | A21 | BGK | SLR | RBB | MBM | ALA | A21 | RBB | WEL | PF | TNT | BGK | MBM | ALA | SLR |
| Magnolia Beverage Masters | PF | SLR | ALA | TNT | BGK | WEL | RBB | Coke | PF | A21 | BGK | TNT | WEL | RBB | SLR | Coke | A21 | ALA |
| Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants | MBM | Coke | A21 | RBB | WEL | BGK | ALA | MBM | TNT | SLR | ALA | Coke | WEL | BGK | RBB | TNT | SLR | A21 |
| Red Bull Barako | BGK | A21 | TNT | PF | ALA | Coke | MBM | SLR | WEL | ALA | Coke | A21 | BGK | MBM | PF | WEL | TNT | SLR |
| Sta. Lucia Realtors | ALA | MBM | BGK | TNT | Coke | WEL | RBB | A21 | TNT | WEL | PF | A21 | BGK | MBM | ALA | PF | Coke | RBB |
| Talk 'N Text Phone Pals | Coke | WEL | RBB | MBM | SLR | A21 | ALA | WEL | BGK | SLR | PF | ALA | MBM | Coke | A21 | PF | BGK | RBB |
| Welcoat Dragons | A21 | TNT | Coke | ALA | PF | MBM | SLR | TNT | RBB | BGK | SLR | Coke | MBM | PF | ALA | A21 | RBB | BGK |

#### Bracket

| Wildcard phase (Single elimination) | Wildcard phase (Single elimination) | Wildcard phase (Single elimination) | Wildcard phase (Single elimination) | Wildcard phase (Single elimination) | Wildcard phase (Single elimination) | Quarterfinals (Best-of-3) | Quarterfinals (Best-of-3) | Quarterfinals (Best-of-3) | Semifinals (Best-of-7) | Semifinals (Best-of-7) | Semifinals (Best-of-7) | Finals (Best-of-7) | Finals (Best-of-7) | Finals (Best-of-7) |
| 6 | Alaska | 85 | | | | | | | 3 | Brgy. Ginebra | 4 | |
| 9 | Sta. Lucia | 99 | | | | 3 | Brgy. Ginebra | 2 | 2 | Red Bull | 0 | |
| | | | 9 | Sta. Lucia | 111 | 9 | Sta. Lucia | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | 7 | Talk 'N Text | 96 | | | | | | | 3 | Brgy. Ginebra | 4 |
| 7 | Talk 'N Text | 98 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Air21 | 3 |
| 8 | Purefoods | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | Air21 | 4 | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| | | | | | | 4 | Coca-Cola | 1 | 5 | Magnolia | 2 | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Magnolia | 2 | | 2 | Red Bull | 102 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Magnolia | 90 |
* view
* talk

#### Wildcard phase
##### First round

* ABC
* July 9
* Ynares Center, Antipolo

##### Second round

* ABC
* July 11
* Ynares Center, Antipolo

## Transactions
### Trades

| 2008 | To Talk 'N Text Phone PalsAli Peek | To Coca-Cola TigersAsi Taulava |
| March 2008 | To Talk 'N Text Phone PalsGilbert Lao, JR Aquino | To Barangay Ginebra KingsChris Pacana, Victor Pablo |

### Free Agents
#### Additions

| Player | Signed | New team |
| Kalani Ferreria | October | Barangay Ginebra Kings |
| Donbel Belano | October | Barako Bull Energy Boosters |

### Recruited imports

| Name | Number | Duration |
| Aaron McGhee | 3 | March 29 vs. Coca-Cola |
| Terrence Leather | 20 | June 13 vs. Air21 |