MANILA: Less than a week ago, Jason Castro capped a mammoth Talk ‘N Text comeback against Barangay Ginebra by making the biggest defensive gem of the game at the buzzer.

On Friday night, he saved the Tropang Texters from what would have been a humiliating collapse by playing hero on the other end as Talk ‘N Text won a third straight game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum.

Castro knocked down the marginal jumper also at the buzzer as the Texters escaped with a 98-96 win over hardluck NLEX despite blowing a 29-point lead in the second quarter.

The 6-foot Castro, voted in 2012 as Asia’s best point guard by gaining inclusion in the Fiba-Asia’s Mythical First Team, dropped the winning bucket over the outstretched hands of Rudy Lingganay and Jonas Villanueva as Talk ‘N Text stayed in second with a 5-1 card.

“We need to do a better job at finishing games,” Talk ‘N Text coach Jong Uichico said. “There was a breakdown in defense and we allowed them to score a lot of points (in the second half).”

It wasn’t only the Talk ‘N Text defense that malfunctioned in the final two frames, but the Tropang Texters’ offense as well.

After closing out the half sitting on a 65-40 bubble, the Texters would score just 33 points in the last two periods, including nine in the fourth, which would have been less had Castro misfired.

The loss was a particularly bitter one to swallow for the Road Warriors, who fought back from 59-30 down in the second by playing as efficient as they could be in the second half.

Al Thornton scored 14 points in the third and had eight in the fourth, with his charity off a technical foul called on the Texters with 7.9 remaining forging the game’s last tie at 96.

NLEX slipped to 1-5 overall with its second straight defeat and would need to piece together wins going into the homestretch of the elimination round with only eight of the 12 teams will advancing to the playoffs.

Talk ‘N Text was slapped with that ‘T’ after Larry Fonacier, in trying to keep possession, called for a timeout that the team didn’t have.

Thornton, the former member of the NBA’s All-Rookie Team, finished with 37 points after going 20-for-21 from the free throw line, also had 14 rebounds and two blocks. But, for the second straight game, almost had to do everything by himself with local support not coming in the first three periods.

Villanueva had six of his 13 and KG Canaleta five of his eight in the final frame as the Road Warriors made a game out of it.

Castro’s heroics also put the impressive 32-point and 10-rebound debut of new Talk ‘N Text import Ivan Johnson as an afterthought.

“He’s OK,” Uichico said of Johnson, who had just two days of practice with the squad after taking the place of Richard Howell.

Meanwhile, Meralco tries to stay in the solo lead when it clashes with a San Miguel Beer crew that has brought in former Rain or Shine import Arizona Reid.

The game is slated at 5 p.m. at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro city with the Bolts, in the finest conference start of their franchise, seeking to win a sixth straight game and move closer towards the first playoff spot.

In a related development, Daniel Orton, the Purefoods import who called boxing legend Manny Pacquiao as a ‘joke’ as a pro basketball player, was fined P250,000 for shooting his mouth off on Wednesday night.

Orton’s statement about Pacquiao also had him saying some bad things about officiating on a night that he scored just six points and had just three rebounds in an 84-95 loss to KIA Motors.

Purefoods management is upset with the Orton statement, saying that whatever the import said is not reflective of the team’s stand.

A source said that coach Tim Cone is now evaluating his options on recalling Marqus Blakely or even pursuing former import Denzel Bowles.