PBA: Castro, TNT proud of effort against powerhouse SMB | ABS-CBN

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PBA: Castro, TNT proud of effort against powerhouse SMB

PBA: Castro, TNT proud of effort against powerhouse SMB

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

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TNT
TNT's Jayson Castro in action against San Miguel Beer in Game 7 of the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup Finals. PBA Images

MANILA, Philippines -- TNT veteran Jayson Castro believes the Tropang GIGA can hold their heads high even after a brutal loss to San Miguel Beer in Game 7 of the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

The Tropang GIGA absorbed a 119-97 shellacking in the deciding game of the series, falling apart in the fourth quarter where they managed a paltry eight points. The collapse squandered a stunning effort from Castro, who played through a sprained ankle and nearly put up a triple-double.

He was at his best in the third period, scoring 19 points on top of three rebounds and three assists to give TNT an 89-84 lead. But their advantage was erased almost immediately when San Miguel opened the fourth quarter with a 17-0 run.

"Lumaban naman hanggang huli," said Castro, who finished with a game-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in nearly 34 minutes of action. "Pero siyempre, ang lakas talaga nila eh. Kitang-kita naman."

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Castro accounted for five of TNT's eight points in the fourth frame, but they didn't get on the board until the 7:09 mark, when he made two free throws.

By that point, San Miguel was in control of the game, 101-89. TNT had no answer for the onslaught of CJ Perez to start the quarter, and Chris Ross finished them off with three three-pointers in the final seven minutes.

"'Yung second group nila, sobrang hindi namin sila mai-stop. Kahit ma-stop sila, lagi silang may pang-counter," said Castro. "Sobrang congratulations sa San Miguel, kasi ayun nga, deserve nila mag-champion talaga."

That the Tropang GIGA kept the game competitive for three quarters was already impressive, and a testament to Castro's remarkable performance. They were without head coach Chot Reyes for the game over health and safety protocols, and center Poy Erram was thrown out with less than a minute left in the second quarter due to a flagrant foul.

But the Beermen had no answer for Castro in the third frame, as "The Blur" bucked a sprained ankle and weathered bumps and bruises to keep the Tropang GIGA in the hunt.

"Okay naman [ako]," said Castro, who sat out in TNT's Game 6 loss. "Maraming masakit, pero kailangan maglaro talaga eh. At the same time, 'yun nga, tulungan 'yung team in a way na kaya kong tulungan."

"Pero ayun, talagang hindi kinaya," he added.

Though they are now dethroned as All-Filipino champions, Castro believes the experience will help them in the long run -- perhaps as soon as the upcoming Commissioner's Cup.

"Learning experience para ulit sa amin 'to, para next championship may paghuhugutan kami," he said.

PBA Season 47 games can be streamed live and on-demand on iWantTFC with a Premium subscription, available worldwide except PH and US.

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