CASTRO SHINES AS TNT EDGES GINEBRA
Jayson Castro fired a personal season high of 31 points in a sterling job capped by a game-winning interception in the closing seconds as Talk n Text eked out a 104-103 nail-biter over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and caught up with Purefoods Star at second place in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the MOA Arena in Pasay City Sunday night.
In what’s easily his best game since his FIBA World Cup stint, Castro also came through with nine rebounds and six assists although it was a defensive gem that eventually saved the day for the Texters in a gut-wrenching battle with the Kings.
The Texters drew even with the Hotshots at second place at 4-1 while dropping the Kings down to 2-3 at joint sixth with the GlobalPort Batang Pier.
Talk n Text fought back from an early 17-point deficit and bucked five fouls by import Richard Howell as the Texters beat out the Kings in a thrilling down-to-the-wire finish to make it two in a row after an 83-91 upset by the Meralco Bolts on Feb. 4.
“It’s good we were able to come back. As it became anybody’s game, we just tried to stay in the game and we held their strengths the best way we could,” said TnT coach Jong Uichico.
The Kings were in the thick of the battle till the finish, but Castro intercepted Mac Baracael’s inbound with 2.3 ticks left, thus, personally handing Ginebra a first loss in its last three games.
“If we play defense this way and continue to enjoy a good rhythm, we’ll have a good shot,” said Uichico.
Howell piled up 20 points while Ranidel de Ocampo and Matt Ganuelas combined for 32 markers as the Texters put in their largest output in a game in the tourney thus far.
“We just tried different combinations and the search during the game paid off. We were able to defend well and score at the same time,” said Uichico whose team had never scored more than 89 points in the conference until this game.
It was an explosive match where Michael Dunigan, Mac Baracael, LA Tenorio, Joseph Yeo and Mark Caguioa carried the load for the Kings.
Dunigan logged 30 points and 18 rebounds while Baracael, Tenorio, Yeo and Caguioa chipped in at least 11 points each.
With the count at 104-103 with 2.3 seconds left, the Texters blew away an opportunity to wrap up the game early on a dubious throw-in by Howell.
But from a time-out, Baracael also made an inbounding error, torpedoing their chance to salvage the game.
Castro stole Baracael’s throw-in intended for Tenorio and the Texters eventually sealed the win in the game where they trailed by 17 at 24-41. (SB)
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