Photo: PBA Media Bureau
Jayson Castro exploded for 37 points and eight assists as TNT KaTropa survived a huge uprising by the GlobalPort Batang Pier to come away with a 122-120 victory in the PBA Governors’ Cup Wednesday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Castro scored 22 of his total output in the first half where TNT erected a commanding 23-point lead which they blew after the Batang Pier, led by Terrence Romeo, erased it in the dying seconds.
Romeo finished with 33 points and seven assists, falling short in an entertaining battle between the two former Gilas Pilipinas guards.
Ranidel De Ocampo scored 17 points for TNT (7-1) including the game-winning jumper that spoiled GlobalPort’s run and put them back on the winning track.
Michael Glover finished with 38 points and 18 rebounds, while Stanley Pringle posted 25 points for GlobalPort (3-5) which ended its three-game win streak.
TNT broke the game wide open after a strong finishing kick in the first quarter. KaTropa unleashed a 14-2 run to end the opening frame which they ended with a comfortable 35-18 cushion.
Led by Castro, TNT expanded its lead to as high as 23 points in the high-scoring first half that saw them breach the 70-point mark at the end of the second quarter, 70-52.
But GlobalPort made its presence felt in the third quarter. Romeo sparked a huge 14-5 run to open the period, with his booming triple trimming Batang Pier’s deficit to nine points, 75-66.
Throughout the game, Castro and Romeo exchanged one magnificent play after another: from three-point shots and fearless drives, to nifty assists to teammates.
But it was Pringle who carried GlobalPort down the stretch. He first converted a tough fastbreak layup, zigzagging past defenders to score a basket that pulled GlobalPort within two points, 120-118.
The former No.1 overall pick then stole the ball off a TNT timeout and went all the way for another layup to tie the score with 41 seconds remaining and ignite GlobalPort’s 11-0 rally.
De Ocampo however fired a jumper from a Castro dish to put TNT ahead again, 122-120, with 5.7 ticks left.
With the game on the line, the Batang Pier went to Pringle for the possible game-winning play. But when he drove to the basket, he decided to pass the ball to Jay Washington who failed to catch it.
That Batang Pier turnover with two seconds left doomed their comeback bid. - Interaksyon
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