MANILA, Philippines — With the ever-dependable Jayson Castro as the X factor, TNT fended off NorthPort and secured a streak-extending 117-112 win yesterday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Castro knocked down a clutch triple and split at the endgame to restore a five-point cushion in the face of the Batang Pier’s searing rally from 13 points down, helping clear the way for the Tropang Giga’s fourth straight victory and 6-2 overall.
The seasoned veteran, who himself sparked TNT’s earlier breakaway, netted 17 points to backstop the Tropang Giga’s 1-2 punch – Mikey Williams (27) and RR Pogoy (22).
As Troy Rosario and Ryan Reyes continued to skip action due to knee injuries, Poy Erram stepped up with 17 markers and 14 rebounds while backup guard Jayjay Alejandro shot 12 and Glen Khobuntin, battling issues with his Achilles, contributed nine, all from beyond the arc.
“We’re just really banking on our agility, versatility and ability to adjust on the fly and have other guys playing different positions,” said coach Chot Reyes, whose troops managed to make the hottest win streak despite the absence of Rosario, Reyes, and Kib Montalbo (groin).
Later, June Mar Fajardo scattered 10 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks as San Miguel Beer roared back to solo lead at 5-1 via a 99-93 verdict over Rain or Shine (1-5).
Castro either scored or dished off timely assists in a telling 15-2 salvo bridging the third and the fourth periods that enabled TNT to seize control, 89-76.
“We knew they’re going to come out with a lot of urgency and we wanted to match that,” said Reyes, who however, expressed dissatisfaction with TNT’s defense as it allowed NorthPort to score over 100.