[ad_1]
PBA IMAGES
“The Blur” came to the rescue of the Tropang Giga.
Jayson Castro scored seven of his team’s last 8 points as TNT edged out Phoenix Super LPG, 95-92, and got the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals off to an exciting start Wednesday night at Angeles University. Foundation.
Castro had a 3-pointer and layup that put TNT ahead, 92-88, with 26 seconds to go before exhausting the game-sealing free throws that gave Tropang Giga a 1-0 lead in the series at best of five.
“We are very happy that Jayson stepped in tonight. Leadership, execution and good decision making is what we needed from him, ”said coach Bong Ravena, whose defenses avoided trouble when Phoenix big man Jason Perkins sent the line for a pair of free throws with his team losing by two. He coughed a split that kept TNT in the lead, 93-92, seven seconds to go.
“We are also lucky [Castro] Hit the big baskets, ”added Ravena.
In the second game, Barangay Ginebra limited Meralco to a single field goal in a seven-minute stretch that tied the middle quarters together for a 96-79 win and a 1-0 lead in their semi-final group.
Stanley Pringle had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Kings, who had 13 each from Scottie Thompson and rookie Arvin Tolentino. Thompson also threw nine rebounds and eight assists for Geneva, who had six players in double figures and led by as many as 25 points.
Allein Maliksi came off the bench to score 24 points for the Bolts, who made just 39 percent of their shots.
TNT also shot terribly from the field, making only 36 percent of their attempts, but Tropang Giga had an additional team down the stretch courtesy of their shooting guard, who stepped up when their team needed it most.
Castro, who has been playing in this tournament despite a hamstring injury, finished with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists, something the playmaker thought he owed his team after a shaky start. .
“As one of the veterans, I had to show that even after a bad second and third quarter, he was still capable of being aggressive both on offense and defense,” he told reporters here at Smart Clark Giga City.
And these are the playoffs. It is important to appear ”, added Castro.
Poy Erram, playing in his first semifinals, also made his presence felt, putting together a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Phoenix trailed from the 5:18 mark of the first period when their leading scorer Matthew Wright sprained his ankle after a collision with Troy Rosario. To make matters worse, the Fuel Masters had to limit forward Calvin Abueva’s minutes due to foul problems.
That made the loss a little easier for Phoenix coach Topex Robinson to take in, who saw many encouraging signs from his team.
“I told the guys, as much as we lost the ballgame, there is still a lot to be excited about,” Robinson said.
“We lost Matt early in the game, but we still managed to get it down to one possession,” he added. “We gave ourselves the opportunity to win, which is the most important thing in a series.”
RJ Jazul carried much of Wright’s homework, scoring 21 points. Perkins had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Abueva had 13 and 9.
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
