FINALS: Powerade Tigers 1 - 3 Talk N Text Tropang Texters
 
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Published on November 22, 2011

After hurting his left knee early in the game, Jayson Castro could have simply left the game for good, accepted Talk ‘N Text’s current misfortunes and followed to the sidelines the footsteps of fellow injured teammates Jimmy Alapag, Ryan Reyes, Ali Peek and Aaron Aban, and Ranidel de Ocampo who fell to cramps, in that game last Saturday against Rain or Shine in Cagayan de Oro City. 

But there was simply just too much fight and heart left in Castro to just give up and not be of help to his ailing team anymore. So he played through the pain and took matters into his own hands. The result was a 106-104 overtime win for the Tropang Texters that formalized their place in the playoffs.

Castro was simply amazing this past week, his two-game performance unanimously earning him the PBA Press Corps’ nod for Accel Player of the Week honors for the period November 14 to 20. 

Three days earlier against Shopinas.com, Castro had 10 of his game-high 17 points in the second quarter when Talk ‘N Text more than doubled the Clickers’ output in that period 32-15 to break the game wide open en route to a walk-in-the-park 96-83 win. 

Castro also had five rebounds, four assists and one steal while going 2-for-5 from three-point range in that win over Shopinas.com. 

But the best was yet to come from last season’s Most Improved Player, who was also a member of the Mythical Second Team and a two-time co-Finals MVP in the Tropang Texters’ two championships in the 2010-11 Philippine Cup and in the 2011 Commissioner’s Cup. 

Against Rain or Shine in that battle for leadership in the team standings last Saturday, Castro scored Talk ‘N Text’s last four points in the final 1:04 of regulation that sent the game into overtime. 

And in the extra period he added nine more points including the game-winner with 1.8 seconds left which secured the Tropang Texters’ sixth win in a row. 

The pride of Bacolor, Pampanga finished the game against Rain or Shine not just with a swollen left knee after falling to the floor and hurting his knee on a drive midway through the contest. 

He also ended it with 21 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and one shotblock against Rain or Shine while shooting 2-of-6 from rainbow country. 

“Jayson put our team on his back in the absence of Jimmy and Ryan not only with his scoring and playmaking but also with his defense and leadership.

His inspiring play fired up the whole team no end,” said Talk ‘N Text head coach Chot Reyes. (FM)

Source:http://www.pba.ph/blogs/entry/238



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