Player of the Week: Castro rising to the challenge
Jayson Castro’s mission in the PBA Governors Cup was loud and clear: He wants to win a championship.
No wonder, Castro has been churning out import-like numbers early in the season-ending reinforced conference.
His latest stat line included 26 points, 10 assists, five steals and four rebounds, including a crucial free throw in the dying seconds to lift TNT to a pulsating 120-118 win over Alaska on Friday in Antipolo.
“The Blur” was at the center of the Katropa’s frenetic fourth-quarter, scoring nine points, spiked by two triples with five assists and two steals to secure TNT’s third straight win in as many games.
The KaTropa are now tied at the top spot of the standings with surprise leader Mahindra Enforcer.
Castro, a Mythical Team member in the last two editions of the Fiba Asia Championships, earned his first Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week citation, besting Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar, Rain or Shine’s Paul Lee and San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo.
After the game, he confirmed reports that a team offered him to play in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) a long time ago, though it was something he never gave a careful thought with his focus solely on TNT.
“Matagal na ‘yun at tsaka hindi ko na muna iniisip ‘yun kasi ilang conference na kaming hindi nakakapasok ng semifinals,” said the 30-year-old guard.
“Yun ang challenge sa amin ng management na makapasok naman uli kami ng finals.”
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