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SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – Jay Washington continued to prove his mettle for TNT as he racked up important minutes in Game 4 of his 2020 PBA Philippine Cup semi-final battle with Phoenix Super LPG on Wednesday night.
The 39-year-old played for a total of 31 minutes and 27 seconds, accumulating six points, five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal as he helped Tropang Giga to a season-saving 102-101 victory.
Washington, a three-time member of the Mythical First Team and a two-time winner of the Best Player of the Conference award, saw only an average of less than 10 minutes in the first three games of the best-of-five series.
The 6-foot-7 forward who advanced couldn’t have come at a better time as TNT’s greats Troy Rosario and Poy Erram battled through the night.
After providing very well in the last two games, Rosario was goalless in 23 minutes of play, while Erram was limited to just four points.
But more than his offensive contributions, it was his effort on the defensive end that received praise from head coach Bong Ravena.
The seasoned mentor said they viewed Washington as their defensive anchor and did so especially with the number of shots he hit; in fact, he provided the same spark in the second game, albeit in a lost cause.
“We need players who can stop the opponents. So it’s very obvious that Jay Wash is really our anchor in the middle who made defensive stops. “
Now, Ravena hopes to see that same consistency in Washington’s defense and the rest of Tropang Giga as they play in Game 5 of the winner-take-all on Friday, November 25.
“They have to be consistent, especially in defense”, he said.
“Basically, it’s our defense that really counts.”
