4 Reasons Why Filipino Basketball Remains Standing in the Global Arena?

We Filipinos admit we aren’t the best in the basketball world but still, our game soars high and threatens any team we face. How do the Gilas Pilipinas Squad withstand all the hardships and challenges they encounter in their path?

Despite being an underdog in terms of global basketball, Gilas Pilipinas shone exceptionally even against the mightiest of the teams they’ve ever fought.

Here are some of Gilas’ characteristics every basketball fan would love if they happen to watch one Gilas game.

1. Small but terrible

If there’s one thing that makes as an extreme underdog, it would be our size of course. It is so ridiculous that some of the team’s point guards are as big as our forward players. I mean, how much more are the center players? It seems that when they play zone defense, it would be a lights out for the one who holds the ball. The vision is completely blocked.

But not really.

We may not beat them with size and strength but we could outwit them with quickness — a great weapon relative to guys bigger than you.

2. Asian Domination

In the biggest continent there is in the world, there lies a tiny country where we all reside. But who could ever imagine that this tiny country with tiny people could be the king of Asian basketball?

We can claim it, we are always on top whenever there are continental basketball events.

If not the champion, we would always stick on top with Iran and China. These two are the biggest of teams there is in Asia but they aren’t unbeatable because we have the quickness to make their super sizes work against them.

3. Asia’s best point guard in the house

We all know the blur Jayson Castro is the finest point guard in Asia. Having the top guard within the team is like having the best team because we have the greatest playmaker.

It’s not just playmaking but Castro could score humongous all by himself. Jayson Castro’s one of the main gunners of Gilas. He’s the core and people love him blur out with his extraordinary stopping and sudden accelerating pace.

4. Rising Superstar

Philippine Basketball was long lost on the global stage but it made a comeback a few years ago. As a result, it would be all eyes on them and Gilas would surely not be ashamed to show off before these eyes with numerous questions and expectations.

We’re long gone, we come back, and we are here for redemption and domination.

Balls-Eye: Who Could be Jayson Castro’s Successor?

The Blur’s getting old and surely, Gilas Pilipinas is trying to unleash a beast out of someone just before Castro’s final games with the national team.

Who may it be?

Before we answer that intriguing question. Of course we must know who to replace. He is Jayson ‘The Blur’ Castro a multi awarded athlete and known as the best point guard in Asia.

If he is the best, doesn’t that mean he is irreplaceable?

He is irreplaceable, we could not deny that he’s the best one in Filipino Basketball and perhaps even in Asia but Jayson’s getting old.

We would never find an exact copy of the Blur no matter how hard we search to and through the thousands of islands of our nation but we could find someone who may not be as best as Castro, but has an all new definition of ‘best’ within him.

If there would be anyone to take over the Gilas Pilipinas as the main point guard, it would be no other than Batang Pier’s pride, Terrence Romeo.

Romeo’s performance as a guard is on the highest level, in terms of scoring, hustling, pace and the overall game play.

He could also be the nearest one to match what Castro’s known for — speed and agility. Castro was called the blur for that reason. Romeo may not be as fast as Jayson apparently but he has a better handle than Castro which would make him as effective. The downgraded pace was covered up with extraordinary ball handling skills — a talent only a few Filipino players possess.

Romeo already marked his name in the heart of the international basketball especially when he did fancy basketball against the gigantic players of China. Romeo turned into a crowd favorite due to his entertaining way of finishing plays. He also once become a 2nd unit to replace Castro in international games so there is no doubt that he is the nearest one in terms of Castro’s potential. 

TNT Hopes to Get Win #1 Against Alaska

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Jayson Castro and company look to get over their opening day loss.

Coming off a rather disappointing end to their Governors’ Cup campaign which resulted in another semifinal exit, many fans began to question the ability of the Talk N Text KaTropa to compete against the league’s elite teams. After all, they have the best point guard in Asia in Jayson Castro and another big man in Troy Rosario who continues to improve every single game. 

However, the KaTropa started the Philippine Cup the same way they ended the previous conference, in a defeat as they dropped their opening game against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 82-79. That is despite Jayson Castro’s near triple-double performance which included 18 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds. What happened? As Nash Racela said it, the KaTropa weren’t making their shots as they only made 30% out of their 102 ATTEMPTS. They were shooting horribly that they only made 8 out of their 38 shots from deep while only making 47% of their free throw attempts. Nash Racela admitted that Jayson Castro was the lone bright spot in that horrible defeat as he was the only one who was making the right decisions.

Heading into tonight’s game against the Alaska Aces who are also gunning for their first win in the Philippine Cup, the KaTropa only need to do one thing if they are to get their first win: MAKE MORE SHOTS. 

In addition to this, Nash Racela stated that the rest of his team should learn to make better decisions with the ball as they can’t always rely on the Blur to bail them out every single game. Jayson Castro may have shot 42% from the field against the Elasto Painters but the problem was, his teammates weren’t doing any better as Anthony Semerad was only one aside from Castro who shot above 40%.

Conclusion

Beating the Alaska Aces who have a talented rookie in Jeron Teng is no walk in the park for the KaTropa. Aside from Jeron Teng, Jayson Castro and company will also have to worry about the explosiveness of the Beast, Calvin Abueva. Fortunately for the Blur, he has teammates who are known scorers. They just need to score MORE than they did against Rain or Shine. 

Balls-Eye: Top 5 Point Guards to Hustle this Season

With a known disadvantage brought by the presence of two twin towers. The playmaker providing an extra boost for the team is a must. Here are 5 players that will surely go head-to-head this season.

1. Scottie Thompson

Despite Brgy Ginebra having its own twin tower. They are one of the must beat team today. They need some extra push aside from Japeth and Greg and extra efforts require some exceptionality which Scottie Thompson possesses. His unusual style of playing as a guard would increase Gin Kings’ unpredictability.

2. Terrence Romeo

Of course, Romeo wouldn’t be missing in action. It became his nature as a huge scorer for the Batang Pier. Romeo is also hungry for the title. At his young career, he already has proven himself and there’s only one thing left to cement his legacy, winning a title. Surely, Romeo gets fiercer and fiercer with every cup that he and Globalport haven’t won or even reached the finals.

3 and 4. James Yap and Paul Lee

As criticisms arise that trading these two guys onto each other’s respective teams are ineffective. Yap and Lee surely have the drive to convert criticisms into fallacies. Both of their teams were powerhouses and they do not want them though explicit, be these teams reason to sink to the abyss.

5. Jayson Castro

Who can match the speed of the blur? The best point guard in Asia would never be left behind the point guard showdown. Though it might be hard for Castro to penetrate when against Ginebra and SMB, he’ll make threes rain on the arena.

PBA Governors: SMB, Ginebra and TNT are Teams to Beat in Philippine Cup

A Wheeler’s Opinion: SMB’s star power will dominate anew

(Photo by  the PBA Media Bureau)

If you watched the official launching event for the upcoming 43rd season of the PBA, you wouldn’t believe that the 12 PBA governors were once divided with regards to whether or not Chito Narvasa should stay on as PBA commissioner. For one event, the 12 teams are united behind the fact that the new season will open on December 17, 2017, when the defending Philippine Cup champions, the San Miguel Beermen open their title defense against the Phoenix Fuel Masters. 

There were no visible tension or any sort seen during the launching event and there were many questions that were thrown to the governors themselves. Among the questions that were asked was this:

Who among the 12 teams will be the team to beat in the season-opening Philippine Cup?

Three teams stood as the answers for the majority of the 12 teams:

1. San Miguel Beermen
2. Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings
3. Talk N Text KaTropa

For starters, picking the Beermen as one of the teams to beat this upcoming conference comes as no surprise because they are first and foremost, the defending champions. The Gin Kings will have Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar plus a continuously improving Scottie Thompson as they will enter the new season following a successful Governors’ Cup run which ended in a championship celebration. The KaTropa, despite being kicked out of the semifinals by Ginebra in the last conference, will again be bannered by Asia’s best point guard, Jayson Castro, and big man Troy Rosario. The three teams will be the teams to beat indeed. 

Question: who will win it all?

Answer: The Beermen.

Why?

Simply put it this way. Neither Ginebra nor TNT has someone to even match up against the 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo. Tim Cone can employ sending his Twin Towers to double team Fajardo but we all know that won’t work as SMB also has shooters. And, the best starting 5 is still intact, folks. No other team in the league has that powerful all-locals starting unit.

Conclusion

While SMB may be the among the favorites to win it all, anything is still possible. After all, who would have thought that the finals series between Ginebra and the Meralco Bolts would go to a Game 7? 

Highlights: Against Taiwan, Jayson Castro Shows Why he is Still the Best Point Guard in Asia, 5 Reasons Why

Checking  the  Blur Lines of Jayson Castro 

In the second game of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, Jayson Castro William, dubbed as the best point guard in Asia proved that he is still the best, carrying out another exemplary performance and making it work when it matters the most. With little reactions on the court, Jayson Castro plays focus and plays well. 

Against Taiwan he scored another 20 points, duplicating his performance in Japan where he also played well. But it isn’t just the scoring that makes Jayson Castro dangerously good.

Let’s take a look at some of his numbers against Taiwan.

1. Great Filed Goal Percentage – 20 Points on 7/12 (58.3%), At 5’10 Jayson Castro isn’t the tallest player on the court but he is one of the best in scoring inside and outside. In the game against Taiwan, his outside shooting was struggling but his ability to score in many ways helped him get 20 points. 

2. Can do other things – 4 rebounds and 4 assists against Taiwan.  Jayson is one of the most versatile players on the court for the Philippines and while he can shoot the lights out, he can also make things happen on both ends of the court. He can pass the ball and can defend.

3. Takes care of the ball well – with only 1 turnover in Japan and Taiwan games, Jayson knows how to take care of the ball and he has done so consistently. While most point guards would turn the ball over more than other players, Jayson is different. In the first two games of the FIBA qualifiers, he was just amazing in taking care of the ball. 

4. Knows when to attack – Castro is one of the primary offensive weapons of the Philippines and while the other players knew this already, it seems like they still could not stop the Blur when he wants to score. Against Taiwan, his shot selections were impeccable and his timing could not be greater. 

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5. Leadership – In the last game, he was vocal and was even suggesting some plays to coach, and rightfully so as he has earned the rights to have a voice in the team. A leader that does not only tell you how it’s done but shows you how to do it. A perfect example for other players. 

You already know that we love Jayson Castro!

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Describe Jayson Castro

The best point guard in Asia

The best player in the PBA

The best player in Talk n Text

He should be in the NBA

He is Okay

I am not a fan

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Watch: How Amazing was Jayson Castro Against Japan?

Jayson Castro Leads Gilas Pilipinas to Victory!

31-year-old Jayson Castro is a veteran of the National team and through time he has proven that he is one of the most reliable and effective point guards that we have for a while now.

Against Japan, the 5’10’ point guard and a proud native of Pampanga, Philippines showed that he can lead the team inside and even on the sideline as he also helps coach and also suggests offensive and defensive sets. Truly, Castro has developed and retained his form as a premier point guard in Asia.

Playing 28 minutes, he was able to score 28 points on a 7/23 ( 53%) shooting percentage including 3 three-pointers. For a small guy, he also sneaked in 7 rebounds paired with 6 assists, a steal and only one turnover.

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Jayson Castro and the Gilas Pilipinas won their first ever game in the World Cup qualifier defeating Japan on their home turf with the score of 77-71. The battle will not end there however as they are due to come back to the Philippines and play against Taiwan on Monday, November 27 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Congratulations Jayson Castro and Gilas Pilipinas! 

Watch Jayson Castro’s highlights against Japan. 

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Kia Picanto will Draft Standhardinger but will Not Stay with the Team For Long, Here’s Why

Christian Standhardinger Could be Traded. Soon.

 

Christian Standhardinger will be one of the most sought-after big men once he enters the PBA. 

Christian Standhardinger, the Filipino-German who replaced Andray Blatche as the naturalized player for the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national team is about to enter the PBA upon announcing that he is applying to join the upcoming PBA Draft this month.

See Also: Other Fil-Foreign Players who applied for the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft

This announcement came in a few weeks before the likes of Kiefer Ravena and Jeron Teng made their respective intentions to join the draft.  The 3 of them will make up the top 3 picks in the draft.

If the initial order is to be believed, Kia Picanto holds the top pick followed by the NLEX Road Warriors and the Blackwater Elite who will select 2nd and 3rd respectively, then it’s a no-brainer that Kia will go on to select Standhardinger as the top pick bearing any last minutes swaps. Kiefer Ravena will have to listen and endure to the yells of Yeng Guiao assuming that NLEX will select him while Jeron Teng will team-up with Allen Maliksi and Mac Belo should the Elite picks him.

Now, let’s focus on the possibilities of trades for Christian Standhardinger. While there’s no doubt that he will start for Kia assuming he is still around come the opening night, make no mistake, PBA fans. Don’t get surprised of Standhardinger will start for another team and this is something that we should all expect. 

Why? 

He was the leader in efficiency during the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup where he also averaged 15 points per game. In addition to this, he was also a vital piece to Gilas’ gold medal finish in the SEA Games where they ran unbeaten. If you want to win right here, right now, keeping Standhardinger would be a must for Kia and getting Standhardinger will be a must for the other teams.

Now, speaking of trade possibilities, one strong contender who will definitely try to trade for Standhardinger is none other than the Talk N Text KaTropa especially considering the ugly way they ended their Governors’ Cup campaign after they bowed down to the defending champs, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings during their semifinal series. One of the reasons why the KaTropa lost that particular series was because the big men of Ginebra outmuscled and outperformed the big men of TNT in every possible way. 

While Troy Rosario and Kelly Williams were producing good numbers and Jayson Castro is still making people remember that he used to be the best point guard in Asia, just imagine a TNT starting 5 with Christian Standhardinger at the center position. June Mar Fajardo may want to watch out because a Christian Standhardinger playing for a powerhouse team will give the former a run for his money. 

Of course, TNT would need to trade away some of its assets if it wants to have Standhardinger on board. The question is: who? Back in December 2014, TNT was said to be willing to trade away superstar playmaker, Jayson Castro for Kia’s pick. We all know that the deal didn’t materialize. But, will TNT pull the trigger this time around? Will Kia accept?

Let’s just say that both Kia and TNT agree to the said swap. Let’s assume that Kia decides to let go of a future for an established star. This will enable Nash Racela to put former UAAP MVP, RR Garcia into the starting unit to team up with Roger Pogoy. But then, it’s a big gamble especially for Kia because Standhardinger will be one day, among the dominant big men in the PBA especially when the Kraken retires. Kia can even ask for additional players and future draft picks like Moala Tautuaa because they are trading away a big part of their future.

On the other side of the fence, keeping Standhardinger will also benefit Kia especially with players like Nico Elorde, Eric Camson and even Rey Guevarra starting to produce good numbers on some of the games and that’s one proof that the system of Chris Gavina is already clicking. Slowly but surely. That is. 

There are other trade possibilities which Kia can explore for Christian Standhardinger but two things are for sure: Standhardinger will be traded and, the rest of the PBA will be watching Standhardinger.

Or, we could probably see a Christian Standhardinger-Stanley Pringle-Terence Romeo team up for the Global Port Batang Pier. But that’s another story for another time. 

Comeback is REAL: Brownlee Score 46 Points to Lead Gin Kings

Ginebra Erased an 18-point Lead as Glen Rice Jr. got Ejected

The absence of Glen Rice Jr. was too much for TNT as Justin Brownlee scored 46 points. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Okay, folks. If you have seen how heated Game 3 was, how it was filled with fouls, including numerous technical fouls, how close the score was at the end of that tension-filled Game 3, then you can expect more of the same in Game 4 when the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings will gun for a return to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals while they will be facing off against the Meralco Bolts, a team they’ve beaten in last year’s Finals. 

On the other hand, Coach Nash Racela and the rest of the Talk N Text KaTropa will need all hands in to win this game and force a sudden death match on Tuesday. For that to happen, the KaTropa will need more than just another monstrous performance from their import, Glen Rice. Jr.

As Glen Rice Jr. walked out of the court and later, of the venue, the chances of a Ginebra victory increased remarkably. However, the Talk N Text KaTropa were able to hold on their own, for a short period of time as the Gin Kings stunned the KaTropa when the crowd favourites left nothing to chance after erasing an 18-point hole in the third quarter to win Game 4, at 115-105 to book their much-awaited Finals rematch with the Mealco Bolts.

Coming off their close encounter back in Game 3 of their best-of-5 semifinal series which ended in a 106-103 victory by the defending champions, both teams started off scoring against each other as the KaTropa built a 5-point lead 4 minutes into the game as Jayson Castro scored 7 points during that span. Then, Glen Rice Jr. made it 27-17 after draining jump shot just a few steps away from the 3-point line as Ryan Reyes and Moala Tautuaa joined forces to score TNT’s next 5 points to make it 32-17 which was followed by a timeout from Tim Cone. 

However, just when TNT was already leading, Glen Rice Jr. was ejected after pushing down Kevin Ferrer AND, throwing the ball which almost hit Ferrer in the face. Despite that, TNT was able to end the first quarter with the lead, at 43-32.

Knowing that the KaTropa were already without their high-scoring import, Ginebra slowly trimmed the deficit to 43-38 during the first 3 minutes of the second quarter. From that point on, turnovers plagued the offense of both teams as Ginebra was able to furthermore to push down the lead to 5 points but TNT was able to score thanks to the aggressiveness of Jayson Castro who completed a 3-point to play to make it 52-44 with under 7 minutes to play before halftime. Then, Tautuaa added a one-handed dunk to bring the lead up to double-digit. Roger Pogoy then drained a long-distance bomb to give the KaTropa, a 15-point advantage in the closing minutes of the first half as both teams headed into the break with TNT leading at 66 -52.

Troy Rosario top-scored TNT with 18 points in the first half while Jayson Castro added 14 points and 6 assists to lessen the effects of Glen Rice Jr.’s absence who had 2 points before getting thrown out. While both teams were shooting above 50% in the field, points scored off fastbreak opportunities propelled TNT into the lead during the first half as the KaTropa outscored Ginebra13-2 in fastbreak points. And, despite the absence of their import, TNT rebounders were able to outmuscle their Ginebra counterparts, holding a 22-15 rebounding edge.

Justin Brownlee had 18 points to lead the Gin Kings as LA Tenorio added 14 markers in the first half. One of the reasons why Ginebra failed to pound on the absence of Glen Rice Jr. was the fact that Ginebra’s offense was mired with 13 turnovers in the first half which the KaTropa converted to 16 points.

Right after Justin Brownlee dunked the ball during the first two minutes of the second half, Jayson Castro drained two charities to give TNT an 18-point advantage. However, LA Tenorio made a 3-point shot and Brownlee added two free throws to make it 72-59 with 8:33 to go as Nash Racela called a timeout to stop the bleeding. Then, Justin Brownlee went on personal 11-0 scoring blast to bring the lead down to 74-69 with under 7 minutes to play in the quarter. 

With Ginebra threatening to inch closer, Jayson Castro and Moala Tautua scored the 4 straight points to put TNT’s lead to 9, at 80-71 with under 4 minutes to go. TNT’s lead never went back to double digits during the remaining minutes of the 3rd quarter as both squads went into the final quarter with the KaTropa only leading by 6 points, at 86-80.

Kelly Williams opened the 4th quarter for TNT with an alley-oop dunk but Sol Mercado made another trey for Ginebra to bring the Gin Kings with 3 points, at 88-85. Then, the score was finally tied at 90 apiece after Justin Brownlee calmly drained two charities with under 10 minutes left in the game to force a puzzled Nash Racela to talk things out with his players because their 18-point lead had already evaporated. Mark Caguioa gave the Gin Kings the lead, at 92-90 after scoring on an inside shot only for Castro to add 2 free throws to tie the game anew, at 92 all. Justin Brownlee continued his scoring onslaught as he drained another one from outside and LA Tenorio scored on another inside basket to give the Gin Kings a 99-94 lead.

Exactly like they did back in the 3rd quarter, TNT struggled to make shots as they missed tons of open shots as LA Tenorio added trey to give Ginebra, a 10-point advantage with under 5 minutes left. Roger Pogoy finally broke the silence for TNT after scoring on the inside but the entire KaTropa team continued with their slump which was made worse by the ejection of Glen Rice Jr.

Justin Brownlee scored 46 BIG points to lead the Gin Kings. Former Ateneo Blue Eagles LA Tenorio and Greg Slaughter added 25 and 21 respectively while Sol Mercado added 11 points off the bench. As a team, the Gin Kings were able to make 13 out of their 32 attempts from deep while blocking 9 shots.

Without their high-scoring import, the rest of the KaTropa struggled all game long as they were lead by Troy Rosario with his 28 points to go along with his 10 rebounds. Jayson Castro had 26 points, 8 boards, and 9 dimes. The bad side of that impressive stat line was that Castro only made 9 of his 20 attempts.

Scores:

Ginebra – 115

Brownlee 46, Tenorio 25, Slaughter 21, Mercado 11, J. Aguilar 6, Ferrer 4, Caguioa 2, Thompson 0, Devance 0, Helterbrand 0, Jamito 0, Cruiz 0, Mariano 0, R. Aguilar 0, Taha 0

TNT – 105

Rosario 28, Castro 26, Pogoy 14, Semerad 12, Williams 10, Tautuaa 9, Reyes 4, Rice Jr. 2, Golla 0, Carey 0, Hernandez 0, Lingganay 0, Seigle 0, Chua 0

Quarter scores:

32-41, 52-66, 80-86, 115-105

Glen Rice Jr.’s 21 Points Lead TNT in Game 2

Glen Rice was outstanding but Jayson Castro also led with a double-double as TNT avoids going 0-2.

Glen Rice Jr. stepped up in the 4th quarter to lead TNT. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

The defending champions have already drawn the first blood in this series. They will now have the opportunity to take full control of the series and go within a win away from a second consecutive Governors’ Cup Finals appearance and yes, they certainly have the firepower to do so. 

On the other hand, the Talk N Text KaTropa are hoping to bounce back from a disastrous Game 1 performance and equalize the series at 1 game apiece. The only question is: Can the KaTropa find a way match up against the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings and avoid being down 0-2 coming into Game 3?

They built an 18-point lead. They blew that lead and let Ginebra take the lead, temporarily. Their import, Glen Rice Jr, didn’t play an entire quarter due to foul trouble. The odds were against the TNT KaTropa and yet, they came out victorious, scoring an important 103-96 win to tie the best-of-5 series at 1-1.

As expected of them, the KaTropa opened the scoring chores of Game 2 as they held the Gin Kings scoreless for the first 2 minutes of the game until Justin Brownlee’s lay-up gave Ginebra their first two points. TNT went up as high as 10-4 on Anthony Semerad’s fastbreak lay-up which resulted to Ginebra calling for their first timeout of the game with 8:43 left in the opening quarter. 

Both teams then struggled to get anything going as Ginebra scored the next 4 points only to miss the next few sots. On the other hand, Ginebra’s defense bothered TNT players as Glen Rice Jr. hit a trey to break the KaTropa dry spell. Unable to control the rebounds early on, Ginebra fell to 19-10 after Moala Tautuaa hit a putback basket to force another timeout from Tin Cone. A dunk by Rice Jr. with 3:11 left in the quarter gave the KaTropa their first taste of a double-digit lead, at 23-12. Ginebra faced a 31-14 hole entering the second quarter as they were plagued by their 12 turnovers in the opening quarter alone.

The KaTropa held onto the double-digit lead during the early minutes of the second chapter Ginebra cut it down to 13 from the highest 18, twice. Then, Joe Devance decreased it to 12, at 36-24 after scoring on a lay-up. Then, Sol Mercado swished in a 3-pointer to cut down the lead to 9 only to be answered by Jayson Castro who hit a 3-pointer of his own to put the lead back to 12. Mercado later added another unguarded 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 6, at 39-33 with under 7 minutes to play before halftime as TNT’s offense became as messy as it was like in Game 1. 

Japeth Aguilar later soared on a monstrous dunk to the delight of the pro-Ginebra crowd and putting his team down by just 4. However, just when TNT was starting to regain control after Jayson Castro hit a trey and Glen Rice Jr. added another free throw, Glen Rice Jr. was called for his 4th personal foul with 3 minutes left in the first half.  The Gin Kings inched closer to 49-47 at the end of the first half after Justin Brownlee hit one from long distance to end the half.

Brownlee led the way for Ginebra with 17 points on 50% field goal shooting in the first half. Sol Mercado added 8 markers off the bench. Defense was again, one of the reasons why Ginebra was able to come back from an 18-point lead as they blocked 5 TNT shots in the first half and the Gin Kings were able to take advantage of the KaTropa’s mistakes as they scored 17 points off those 11 TNT turnovers.

On the other hand, nobody among the players of Nash Racela scored in double figures after the first two quarters as Glen Rice Jr. and Troy Rosario had 9 points each while Jayson Castro had 6 points- scored on 2 3-pointers. If there was one thing that enabled the KaTropa to hold onto the lead, it was their ability to run on the break as they were able to score 10 fastbreak points as compared to none by Ginebra.

Come the third quarter, the Gin Kings wasted no time as Joe Devance scored the first two points of Ginebra to tie the score at 49 all then Japeth Aguilar added another jumper to give Gin Kings the lead for the first time at 51-50. However, Ginebra has been plagued with turnover anew as Talk N Text, like they did in the first half, was able to run on the break and established a 10-point lead with under minutes to play in the quarter.TNT went on to lead the rest of the third quarter despite Glen Rice Jr. not playing due to foul trouble as the KaTropa led 76-69 heading into the 4th quarter.

The KaTropa re-established a double-digit lead during the early minutes of the final quarter as Kelly Williams scored on an alley-oop dunk to make 79-69 with under 3 minutes into the quarter, forcing Tim Cone to call an early timeout. TNT later pushed their lead to 13 off a Tautuaa basket with under 8 minutes remaining in the game. From that point on, TNT again, held onto the lead the rest of the way as Ginebra failed to sustain the same energy that they had which enabled them to battle for the lead in the 3rd quarter.With under a minute to go in the game, Sol Mercado drained two triples to bring the deficit down to 6 but it was already too late.

Glen Rice Jr. scored 21 points on an efficient 6 of 10 field goal shooting despite playing in the 4th quarter with 5 fouls. Jayson Castro had 20 points, 10 assists and 4 rebounds while Troy Rosario had 16 points. One of the keys that triggered this important win for Talk N Text was their points off turnovers as they scored 23 points off Ginebra’s 19 turnovers. The KaTropa also had 20 fastbreak points, many of those were also off the turnovers of Ginebra.

For the losing team, Justin Brownlee had 25 points and 10 rebounds while LA Tenorio had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and a steal. Sol Mercado added 14 points off the bench for Ginebra who was hounded all game long by the defense of TNT which forced the Gin Kings into turnovers that took away all of the possible opportunities to mount a comeback, especially in the 4th quarter.

Scores:

TNT – 103

Rice Jr. 21, Castro 20, Rosario 16, Pogoy 14, Tautuaa 10, Williams 7, Semerad 5, Seigle 4, Reyes 2, Nuyles 1, Hernandez 1, Chua 1, Golla 0, Carey 0, Lingganay 0

Ginebra – 96

Brownlee 25, Tenorio 17, J. Aguilar 14, Mercado 14, Thompson 8, Slaughter 8, Devance 4, Cruz 4, Caguioa 2, Helterbrand 0, Ferrer 0, Jamito 0, Mariano 0, R. Aguilar 0, Taha 0

Quarter scores:

31-14, 49-47, 76-69, 103-96

2 Basic Things TNT SHOULD Avoid Against Ginebra

These things almost cost them a victory last night

TNT must avoid any kind of shooting woes against Ginebra. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

If anything, last night’s game between the Talk N Text KaTropa against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters was indeed, a long one for both teams as neither was certain of the outcome until J’Nathan Bullock threw a bad pass, turning the ball over and fouling out in the dying seconds of the game. That sequence took the life out of the Elasto Painters as they came out short. 

Given how ugly the game was especially in the second half when TNT was struggling to make shots but was able to stick around within striking distance, they cannot simply afford to play exactly the same way especially when you’re up against the defending champions, Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, in the semifinals. Sure, TNT unmercifully dismantled the Gin Kings in their final game in the elimination round but that was a long time ago. We are now in the semifinals of the Governors’ Cup. Things here are different compared to the elimination round and the quarterfinals. Here, both teams will have identical paths. The first team to win 3 games, goes on to the Finals. Simple. And not especially for TNT.

For the players of Head Coach Nash Racela, playing against the crowd darlings will be a huge challenge because Racela just took over the coaching job of the KaTropa at the start of the season while Tim Cone is no doubt, a coach whose resume is already filled with multiple championships and Grand Slams. In addition to this, TNT surprisingly traded away some of its longtime players including Larry Fornacier to the NLEX Road Warriors and Ranidel De Ocampo to the Meralco Bolt which is one reason why the chemistry in the team has been shaken off a little bit.  

To have a decent chance to at least, challenge the Gin Kings, the KaTropa must avoid the following things they did in last night’s game because if they are to them again in the semifinals, they are off to an early vacation:

Shooting Woes

Last night, Jayson Castro had 20 points but 12 of those points came from the free throw line. While there’s nothing wrong in scoring most of your points from the charity stripe, you can’t just make 3 of your 11 shots in the field and expect to win against Ginebra. Yep, Jayson Castro’s view was blurry as he only made 3 out of his 11 attempts including 2 of 7 from rainbow country. Roger Pogoy also shot poorly especially beyond the arc where he missed 8 of his 10 attempts in that area.  TNT won last night despite Rain or Shine shooting better in the field. The KaTropa will need everyone on board to have a good field goal percentage and avoid getting themselves buried in shooting slumps.

Rely heavily on the starters

Let’s put it this way: if Glen Rice Jr. wasn’t on the court to pick up Jayson Castro’s missed 3-point attempt during the dying seconds and score on a  putback, it could have altered the outcome. Both players had to log 40 minutes because only Anthony Semerad had a respectable 3 of 4 shooting night, good for his 8 points off the bench before fouling out late in the 4th. TNT must find a way not to force its starters to play heavy minutes because come clutch situations, fatigue will play a critical part and in situations like these especially during the semifinals against the defending champions, the fresher your legs are, the better you can perform. The bench players of TNT will play a vital role because they can help take off some of the offensive load from Castro and Rice Jr. to help them stay fresh come the 4th quarter

Glen Rice Jr Saves the day as TNT Avoids Upset, Books Semifinal Slot Against Ginebra

Ugly win against gusty Elasto Painters did the job

Glen Rice Jr. scored 34 points to lead TNT. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Talk N Text had the chance to make this match-up wrapped in one game. They failed. They came short. Now, both the KaTropa and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will have to battle it out for the final time to know who between the two teams will earn the honor of meeting the already-waiting Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings in the semifinals.

Both teams struggled to hold onto the lead, especially in the second half. Both teams didn’t shoot better than 50% in the field in the endgame. But against all odds, the Talk N Text KaTropa prevented an upset by eliminating the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on a 118-114 victory that booked the KaTropa a slot in the semifinals for a chance to dethrone the defending champions, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.

As everyone was expecting them to do, the Talk N Text KaTropa came out firing early in the first quarter as they made 6 of their first 7 attempts to hold an 8-point lead but the Elasto Painters’ offense finally started to click in and bridged the gap at 21-18 on Mark Borboran’s 3-point play. Right after TNT increased their edge back 8, Chris Tiu later brought it down to two on his 3-point shot with 1:19 to play in the first. Mark Borboran ended the opening chapter with a three-pointer to beat the buzzer to tie the score at 27 all. Borboran already 9 points to lead all scorers while TNT’s import, Glen Rice Jr. 8 points during the first 12 minutes. of play.

If TNT was firing on all cylinders in the first quarter, the beginning of the second was a little different as the defense of Rain or Shine forced the KaTropa to turn the ball over multiple times or take highly-contested shots that missed the basket. Later, J’Nathan Bullock drained a jumper to make 42-35 in favor of the Elasto Painters, their biggest lead in the first half. 

The Blur, Jayson Castro nailed a 3-pointer in the ensuing possessions to bring his team within 1, at 43-42 and then added a pair of free throws to give TNT a one-point lead with under 5 minutes before the break. The lead switched hands multiple times as both teams struggled to mount scoring runs as both teams every made basket with another basket and, every missed shot with another missed shot. As a result, both teams headed into the break with the score tied at 59 apiece after Jericho Cruz made a buzzer-beating jumper for the Elasto Painters.

Both teams were shooting relatively good percentages with TNT making 45% of their attempts in the first half while Rain or Shine converted 51% of their own. Glen Rice Jr. led the KaTropa with 18 points while Jayson Castro added 16 points which include 8 free throws and two from beyond the arc. Bullock on the other hand, scored 15 first-half points while Beau Belga added 12. 

What was the difference that worked for TNT? Free throw shooting. As a team, TNT attempted 25 free throws in the first half alone, making 20 of them. In contrast, Rain or Shine only made 7 of their 9 attempts from the free throw line.

It took almost two minutes into the 3rd quarter before either team scored, a spell that was by broken by Glen Rice Jr. a lay-up and J’Nathan Bullock on a pair of charities at the other end. After Bullock nailed a long one off a lucky bounce, Anthony Semerad answered a three-pointer of his own to increase TNT’s advantage to 5 which was later trimmed down to 1 anew off a Mark Borboran lay-up with 5:06 to go, forcing TNT Coach Nash Racela to call for a timeout.  The rest of the 3rd quarter became a free throw shooting contest as both teams struggled to make any notable run. The Elasto Painters had an 86-85 lead entering the final quarter

Chris Tiu and Gabe Norwood drained a three-pointer each to open the fourth quarter to give Rain or Shine, a  7-point lead, prompting TNT to call for another with barely 2 minutes into the quarter. A pair of threes from Ryan Reyes and Anthony Semerad enabled the KaTropa to grab the lead at 102-100 with under 6 minutes to work with.

From that point on, the match became a shootout as Jericho Cruz added another trey for Rain or Shine to tie the score at 105 apiece with less than 4 minutes to play. The Elasto Painter later regained the lead after a  Norwood trey but TNT went on a 5-0 scoring run that made it 112-108, in favor of the KaTropa approaching the final two-minute mark.

Then, Beau Belga and Jericho Cruz combined for Rain or Shine next 4 points to tie the score, again, at 112 all. Two free throws from Bullock gave Rain or Shine the edge, at 114-112 with 46 seconds to go. 3 seconds later, Castro drew J’Nathan Bullock’s 5th foul and drained the ensuing free throws. After the Elasto Painter failed to score on their next possession, Glen Rice Jr. tipped back Castro’s air-balled trey which gave KaTropa the lead, at 116-114 with 10 ticks to play. A bad pass by Bullock enabled TNT to dribble away the clock as Ryan Reyes made two more charities to end the game.

Glen Rice Jr. came out of his shooting slump to finish with 34 points, 16 rebounds and 9 assists. Jayson Castro, despite making 3 of his 11 field goal attempts, finished with 20 points, built on 12 free throws. He also dished away 12 assists in the game. Troy Rosario and Roger Pogoy added 18 and 16 respectively while Kelly Williams scored 10 points. Points off turnovers were one of the reasons why the KaTropa prevented Rain or Shine from running away especially in the 4th quarter. In addition to this, TNT held a 38-32 advantage in points in the paint.

Rain or Shine on the other hand, was led by Bullock’s 30 points. Beau Belga scored 18 to lead the bench players of the Elasto Painters who, for the second straight game, outscored the bench players of TNT, 54-20. Gabe Norwood finished with 14 while Jericho Cruz added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Scores:

TNT – 118

Rice Jr. 34,  Castro 20, Rosario 18, Pogoy 16, Willams 10, Semerad 8, Reyes 5, Carey 4, Tautuaa 3, Golla 0, Nuyles 0, Hernandez 0, Lingganay 0, Seigle 0, Chua 0

Rain or Shine – 114

Bullock 30, Belga 18, Borboran 15, Norwood 14, Cruz 11, Tiu 10, Ahanmisi 7, Trollano 5, Almazan 4, Maiquez 0, Ponferada 0, Yap 0, Robles 0, Matias 0, King 0, Daquioag 0

Quarter scoring:

27-27, 59-59, 85-86, 118-114

3 Things TNT Needs To Do Against ROS

These things will bring the TNT KaTropa to the semifinals

Glen Rice Jr. only made 8 of his 28 attempts last Wednesday. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Many thought that the Talk N Text KaTropa would put an end to the season of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters when they opened their quarterfinals match-up last Wednesday. Unfortunately, many were disappointed when the Elasto Painters were able to weather away from a furious 4th quarter comeback by TNT as they successfully pulled a 106-102 victory which is the reason they will need to play one more time tonight to decide who between them will face the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings in the semifinals.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We all know that the players of Coach Nash Racela are capable of beating any team regardless if they have the twice-to-beat-advantage or not. Fortunately for TNT, finishing in the Top 4 at the end of the elimination round gives them another chance to make things right and to be able to move on to the next level, there are things that they need to do to avoid another embarrassing loss and below are those things:

Bench must produce!

If we’re going to look back at last Wednesday’s game, one of the reasons why TNT ran out of gas especially during their failed 4th quarter comeback was the mere fact that there was no significant production that came out from the bench players of TNT who combined to finished with 9 points which a far cry to the 29 points of the bench of ROS. 

If TNT wishes to get rid of the Elasto Painters, they will need everyone on board and they cannot simply rely on the heroics of Jayson Castro especially during clutch situations. For one, Roger Pogoy must become the player who helped his team beat Ginebra in the final game of the elimination round. In their game last Wednesday,  Pogoy only had 7 points and 6 fouls. If anything, this conference has proven what Pogoy can do and he will need to bring his A+ game come tonight. And so is the rest of the bench players of TNT.

Glen Rice Jr. must score more

The defense of Coach Caloy Garcia and his wards had successfully limited Glen Rice Jr.’s offensive output to only 19 points while making only 8 of his 28 attempts including just 1 of 12 three-point attempts. Coming into tonight’s game, Nash Racela knows that for his team to have a chance against the Elasto Painters, he must tell his import to manage his attempts and only take the shots that have a higher chance of going into the basket because otherwise, a missed shot is a missed opportunity for the rest of the team. Last Wednesday’s game saw Rice Jr. waste 20 scoring opportunities for his team. He doesn’t only need to score more for  TNT to win the game. He needs to slow things down on offense.

Make it rain

As ugly as it sounds, TNT only made 9 of 35 shots from rainbow country, a horrible 25% shooting from that area. And that is not the kind of shooting percentage you can expect from a TNT team that is loaded with shooters. In contrast, Rain or Shine made it rain from deep the entire game and they continuously bombed away and finished the game, making 16  out of 42 from deep. 

If anything, TNT has been known, loved and even hated by opposing teams for their ability to make it rain with threes and if they can go back to that habit of making more threes like nothing else happened, TNT would be a very scary team to play against and Ginebra would better watch out. 

ROS Survives Furious TNT Run in 4th

Rain or Shine forces a do or die game after diffusing TNT

Gabe Norwood scored 15 points to extend the season for ROS (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

This game featured two different teams with identical situations coming into the game. Both teams are still in working progress as they’ve undergone coaching changes. Both teams also traded some of their longtime players so they’re building new chemistry amongst themselves. The only difference is that in this quarterfinal series, one team has to win twice before moving on into the semifinals and that team is the Rain or Shine Elato Painters. Sure, beating the Talk N Text KaTropa on two consecutive occasions may be a big challenge but it’s not impossible, right?

Just when everyone thought that there would be another come-from-behind win again, nope. Not this time. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters survived despite being held scoreless for almost 4 minutes in the 4th quarter as they beat the TNT KaTropa, 106-102.

The game between the KaTropa and the Elasto Painters began with both engaging in an exchange of scored baskets especially those that are off forced turnovers. Both teams were able to run the open floor and score on multiple attempts from the three-point line as the first quarter ended with TNT up by 2, at 28-26. When the 2nd quarter began, it became a battle of forced turnovers as TNT was able to take advantage the Elasto Painters’ mistakes by scoring on the other end. Then, TNT on a scoring run to increase their lead to 8 only for Rain or Shine to climb right back at as they tied the game with under 4 minutes to go in the quarter. The Elasto Painters took the lead and built an 8-point lead of their own after J’Nathan Bullock nailed a jumper with 1:57 on the clock, forcing Nash Racela to call for a timeout.

Rain or Shine entered the halftime break with a 5-point lead, at 52-47 thanks to Bullock’s 23 points to lead all scorers. The Elasto Painters did everything right in the first half from the field goal shooting at 46% including 40% from beyond the arc, to the making extra passes which results in a 13-8 advantage in the total assists.

For TNT, Anthony Semerad exploded for 11 of 16 first-half points in the first quarter alone to lead the KaTropa. Jayson Castro and Glen Rice Jr. added 9 points apiece. Even though TNT struggled offensively in the first half, they took advantage of the fastbreak points, holding a 6-4 edge in that category. In addition to this, the KaTropa were able to keep the score close for the majority of the first half by scoring more off their own missed opportunities as they also held a 9-2 advantage in terms of second-chance points.

Troy Rosario opened the scoring in the 3rd quarter by making a shot off an offensive rebound only to be answered by Chris Tiu on the other end. Jayson Castro soon scored on a lay-up and Kelly Williams added another field goal to put KaTropa back in the lead at 58-56 with 8:37 to play in the quarter, forcing Coach Caloy Garcia to call a timeout. The Elasto Painters scored on back-to-back three-pointers made by Chris Tiu and Gabe Norwood to give them the lead. Another trey by Beau Belga pushed the lead to 6 with 6 minutes to spare. Then, Kelly Williams scored on an alley-oop dunk off a lob from Castro to cut the lead down to 1 in the next few possessions.

Glen Rice Jr. later dunked on THREE defenders and Roger Pogoy added another lay-up to put TNT back in the lead and was followed by an acrobatic lay-up by Kelly Williams. with under 4 to play. After a couple of missed shots by the KaTropa, the Elasto Painters took back the lead on another pair of three-pointers by Gabe Norwood and J’Nathan Bullock. Kelly Williams added another dunk plus a free throw but Rain or Shine scored as they took an 84-75 lead heading into the 4th quarter.

Don Trollano scored on a three-pointer to open the 4th quarter scoring as Rain or Shine’s lead ballooned to double figures at 87-75 as Raymond Almazan followed with another putback to increase the lead to 14, just 2 minutes into the quarter. A Gabe Norwood trey increased the lead to 15 but Kelly Williams answered back with an inside shot for TNT.  The KaTropa continued to clank on their trey during the early minutes of the 4th as Pogoy fouled out with 7:43 to play. At this time, the Elasto Painters were already leading by 18 points after Almazan scored on a pair of charities. A driving lay-up by Maverick Ahanmisi put his team up 20 points with 6:27 to go as Coach Nash Racela called for another time because his team was struggling, both offensively and defensively.

A 9-0 scoring run by TNT cut down the lead to 102-91 with under 4 minutes to play. Troy Rosario added another pair of free throws to cut the lead to 9. The lead was later pushed down to 7 off Glen Rice Jr’s basket. Jericho Cruz finally ended the scoring drought for the Elasto Painters to bring the lead back to 9 approaching the final 2-minute mark. Knowing that his team needed a basket, Jayson Castro scored on another trey to cut the lead down to 6 with 1:17 on the clock to work with.

Glen Rice Jr. later attacked the basket, fished on a foul from a defender, and calmly drained both charities to put the lead back to 4 with under a minute left. After a series of bad passes by both teams which ended with the ball in Norwood’s hands, Ahanmisi drained 1 of 2 free throws to increase their lead to 5 anew with 33 seconds to play. Rice Jr.’s dunk’s cut down the lead as the Elasto Painters just made 1 of the free throws on the next possession, keeping the door open for TNT with 12 seconds to go. TNT missed the next two three-pointers as time ran out for them.

J’Nathan Bullock led the way for the Elasto Painters with 31 points to go along with his 15 rebounds. Bullock scored on 7 out of 12 three-point shots. Gabe Norwood added 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Almazan finished the game with 13 points while Ahanmisi added 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. What won the game for the Elasto Painters was their three-point shooting as well as their bench scoring which saw the bench players of Rain or Shine outscored their TNT counterparts, 29-9.

For the KaTropa, Kelly Williams had 23 points and 10 rebounds while Jayson Castro added 22 points. Import Glen Rice Jr. had to settle for 19 points on a miserable 8 of 28 field goal shooting and this was actually one of the reasons why TNT fell behind in the first place. Anthony Semerad had 19 points too and was followed by Troy Rosario who 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Scores:

Rain or Shine – 106
Bullock 31, Norwood 15, Almazan 13, Ahanmisi 10, Tiu 10, Trollano 10, Cruz 8, Belga 5, Borboran 2, Daquioag 2, Maiquez 0, Ponferada 0, Yap 0, Robles 0, Matias 0, King 0

TNT – 102
Williams 23, Castro 22, Semerad 19, Rice Jr. 19, Rosario 10, Pogoy 7, Siegel 2, Golla 0, Carey 0, Nuyles 0, Tautuaa 0, Hernandez 0, Reyes 0, Lingganay 0, Chua 0

Quarter scoring:

26-28, 52-47, 84-75, 106-102

Video: TNT’s Rice Jr and Castro Exploded to Gain Crucial Win Against Ginebra

TNT Makes Life More Miserable for Gin Kings with Complications

Glen Rice Jr. regained his shooting touch to help lead TNT to an important win. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

If there’s one game where both teams knew that they cannot afford to lose, it’s probably this game between crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings against the Talk N Text Katropa. 

Why? Let’s just say that if Ginebra will lose this game, their road towards a back-to-back Governors’ Cup titles will be much complicated because we all have to remember that the Meralco Bolts can still snatch that Number 1 seed from the Gin Kings, should the Bolts win tomorrow. 

As for the Katropa, a win against the Gin Kings will enable them to finish the elimination round with an 8-3 record and should the Bolts go on to win against the San Miguel Beerman tomorrow, Talk N Text will have a fighting chance via the PBA quotient system to enter the playoffs as the number 3 team.

As it turned out, Ginebra will have to wait for the result of the Meralco-San Miguel game tomorrow to know their fate after the Talk N Text Katropa dominated them 122-98 which pushed the Gin Kings’ record to 8-3 after 11 games

The first half was a see-saw battle with Ginebra leading after the first 12 minutes of action and then TNT just started stepping on the gas at every scoring opportunity as Jayson Castro buried 3 of his attempts from beyond the arc as he led TNT with 17 points and 4 assists at the break. TNT took an 8 point lead into halftime despite the struggle of their import, Glen Rice Jr., who had 16 points on a miserable 5 of 15 shooting. 

Ginebra on the other hand only had Justin Brownlee who had 14 points at halftime to lead the Gin Kings. While Ginebra forced their opponent to make only 35% of their shots from the rainbow country, they allowed TNT to dominate the 2-point area which saw Castro and company 61% of the shots inside during the first half as compared to Ginebra who only made 42% of their shot within the 2-point area.

When the third quarter started, TNT started building a double-digit lead which reached 14 with under 8 minutes to play in the quarter thanks to Rice Jr’s aggressiveness. In addition to this, local players of Coach Nash Racela made a significant impact throughout the game to counter the earlier struggle of their import. Ginebra fell behind by as much as 17 points after a trey from Rice Jr. with under 6 minutes to go in the quarter. In fact, Ginebra struggled to sustain an offensive run as TNT would simply answer every run they make with a scoring run of their own as the lead later ballooned to 20 after another 3-pointer from who else? Glen Rice Jr. who scored 18 points in that quarter alone. RR Pogoy later hit a 3-pointer of his own to put TNT up by 22 with 4 minutes to spare. Ginebra’s Head Coach Tim Cone could only watch as his team fell behind by 17 entering the fourth quarter.

TNT wanted to make sure that they kept Ginebra at bay as they started the 4th quarter with back-to-back treys from Jayson Castro which forced Tim Cone to call a timeout 2 minutes into the quarter. The Blur would later add 2 more treys and Pogoy would score on a fastbreak dunk as TNT  continued to pound in on the points.

What doomed Ginebra in this game? Tons of things. They weren’t able to contain the 3-point shooting of TNT. They allowed Castro and company to make the most of their opportunity from beyond the 3-point line, converting a total of 17 out of 40 attempts which is a far cry to Ginebra’s 6 of 23 attempts from beyond the arc Ginebra was also outscored in terms of the fastbreak points where they only converted 6 points compared to 19 fastbreak points by TNT.

Glen Rice Jr. recovered from his early slump to lead his team with 36 points including 6 of 13 attempts from rainbow country. Castro complimented their import’s performance with 28 points on his own to go along with his 7 assists.  Troy Rosario added 15 points, which includes a perfect 3 of 3 shooting from beyond the arc, and 10 rebounds while Kelly Williams finished with 10 points and 11 boards. Roger Pogoy finished the elimination round with 15 points to lead TNT’s players off the bench. 

On the other hand, only Justin Brownlee and Japeth Aguilar managed to score in double figures for the Gin Kings as Brownlee and Aguilar finished with 28 and 19 respectively. The rest of the Gin Kings struggled miserably starting with LA Tenorio who only made 1 of his 9 attempts for his 6 points.  Joe Devance was also struggling with his offense as he only converted 3 of his 8 attempts, good for 7 points for the night. The Gin Kings cannot simply play this way if they want to win back-to-back Governors’ Cup titles.

Scores:

TNT – 121
Rice Jr. 36, Castro 28, Rosario 15, Pogoy 15, Semerad 4, Chua 4, Golla 3, Carey 2, Tautuaa 2, Siegle 2, Nuyles 0, Hernandez 0, Reyes 0, Lingganay 0, Tamsi 0

Ginebra – 92
Brownlee 28, J. Aguilar 19, Thompson 9, Devance 7, Tenorio 6, Mercado 6, R. Aguilar 4, Caguioa 4, Slaughter 4, Ferrer 3, Cruz 2, Helterbrand 0, Jamito 0, Mariano 0, Taha 0

Quarter scores:

30-31, 57-49, 88-69, 121-92

RR Pogoy and Jayson Castro: Perfect Gift to Talk and Text Before Leaving for FIBA Asia Cup

RR Pogoy’s hot hands and Jayson Castro’s excitement before the FIBA Asia Cup

Both RR Pogoy and Jayson Castro were supposed to play light minutes for Talk and Text but coach Nash Racela had no choice but to stretch their play time as both FIBA Asia Cup bound players were hot like pancakes.

Winless Alaska was playing really well and was really challenging Talk and Text throughout the game. It was a closely contested ball game that was won during the later part and with the heroics and clutch plays of both Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy.

After the game, Coach Nash Racela was very apologetic to Coach Chot as he wasn’t intending to play the two guards with heavy minutes but they wanted to win badly tonight especially after the loss with SMB.

25-year-old RR Pogoy scored 25 points on an 8 of 11 shooting including that dagger 3 late in the game while his partner Jayson Castro added 23 points on a 8 of 15 shooting. Castro also got 10 assists and 9 rebounds.

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After the game, the two players were also interviewed. RR Pogoy mentioned that the performance tonight has given him more confidence and was hoping that he can carry it to the FIBA Asia Cup. Jayson Castro, on the other hand, talked about trying to win the games before leaving and shared his excitement playing along with players from other teams and competing for the country.

Gilas Pilipinas’ players are scheduled to depart early morning tomorrow as they get set for the tournament which will take place on August 15.

Jayson Castro’s moves left the commentator in awe!

Jayson Castro is having an MVP type of games the whole FIBA tournament, and with moves like this, I won’t be surprised if he would be the MVP of the tournament. Jayson William with an incredible up-and-under move against Japan left the commentator in awe. 

The Best Point Guard In Asia!

Jayson Castro led Gilas Pilipinas to an important win over Iran.