Castro stars for TNT in win over Alaska

ON THE MOVE: TNT's Jayson Castro gets past Kevin Racal of Alaska in the PBA Governors’ Cup at match the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Friday night. (AN photo)

Jason Castro is reported to being lured by a team in China to play there as an import.
In the midst of the brouhaha concerning that development, the fleet-footed point guard on Friday night showed everyone what the fuzz is all about – doing something he does on a regular basis for TNT Ka-Tropa.
Castro took over in the fourth quarter and helped the Texters carve out a 120-118 triumph over Alaska for a piece of the early elimination round lead in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The 6-foot guard, whose exploits with the Gilas Pilipinas national team convinced one team in the China Basketball Association (CBA) to offer him a slot to play there as an import, fired 25 points, had 10 assists and five steals in another sterling effort that helped the Texters rise to 3-0.
Castro scored nine of his points in the fourth, including two triples in a telling spurt that had the Texters taking a 111-105 lead going into the final 2:56, a lead the Texters clung on to the rest of the way.
“I don’t think it is bothering the team because Jason is playing very well, as you all saw,” TNT coach Jong Uichico told reporters. “He (Castro) will have to cross the bridge when he gets there.”
The entire starting unit of Uichico finished in twin digits – with Michael Madanly coming off the bench to be the sixth player to toss in double figures – as Ranidel de Ocampo had 17 points and 11 rebounds to be the second man with a double-double for the Texters.
Rookie Moala Tautuaa had 18 points, Madanly and Ryan Reyes 15 apiece while import Mario Little still struggled with 12 for Uichico.
Castro, voted as Asia’s best point guard in the last two Fiba championships, and his handlers are seriously considering in taking the offer to play in China and could miss the next Philippine Cup as the CBA tournament runs from November to February.
Alaska played without the suspended Calvin Abueva and bungled control of the game in the fourth, losing leads of as many as 12.
Abueva served out a one-game suspension for elbowing Barangay Ginebra’s Chris Ellis in the face in an overtime victory last Sunday. He was also fined P22,000 by the Office of the Commissioner.
“He would have been another concern that we would have needed to address,” Uichico said of Abueva’s absence.
LeDontae Henton paced the Aces with 35 points and 14 rebounds, while Dondon Hontiveros finishing with 22 and RJ Jazul 19 after coming off the bench.
Two late Hontiveros triples made the score to what it is as Alaska nearly wiped out a 116-111 deficit with under 33 seconds left only to fall short in the end.
In the first game, Rain or Shine was error-free in the final period and hung on to clip upset-conscious Blackwater, 98-92.
Jeff Chan tossed in 20 points after hitting four of his first five triple attempts in the first period, and Dior Lowhorn also had 20 despite “feeling weird” the entire game and sitting out the majority of the fourth period when the Elasto Painters were busy fending off the Elite.
Paul Lee had 14 points and five assists, while JR Quinahan hit three straight free throws with 33.4 seconds left off Blackwater import Eric Dawson to ice the game, 96-90 as Rain or Shine rose to 2-1 with its second straight win.
Carlo Lastimosa paced the Elite with 20 points, while Dawson had 25 rebounds and 14 points but still couldn’t save Blackwater from falling to 1-2 overall.