TNT’s veteran playmaker Jayson Castro showed he still has a lot of gas left in his tank as he was named the PBA Player of the Week for his spectacular play that included hitting a game-winning three-pointer that lifted his Tropang Giga past Magnolia in Game Three of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
With TNT on the brink of a Game 3 loss and a critical 1-2 series deficit, Castro took matters into his own hands and sank a booming, game-winning triple in the waning seconds to pull off a 93-92 thriller before a huge Sunday crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The daring act by the man known as “The Blur” was reason enough for him to be adjudged as Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week midway through the Final Four.
In the first three games of the semis, Castro averaged 15.0 points behind a 47-percent three-point clip, laced with 5.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds for an all-around campaign. That’s on top of his unparalleled leadership role for the reigning Philippine Cup champion, which seized a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“For me, either shoot or miss yun, good shot pa rin para sa akin. Yun yung binigay ng defense. As a veteran, kailangan ko itira yun. At the same time, kailangan na kailangan naming manalo ng Game Three,” said Castro after that thrilling Game Three.
The veteran playmaker finished with 16 points, two rebounds, and six assists in the pulse-pounding win.
He had 12 markers, five rebounds and five assists in TNT’s 108-96 Game 1 win, before putting up 17 points, eight boards, and five dimes in their close 92-88 Game 2 defeat.