TNT ousts Kings, books Finals match with SMB

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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Sunday, June 18, 2017
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TNT Katropa import Joshua Smith (center) struggles against the defense of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings during their Game 4 semifinals match in the 2017 Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup last night. TNT won, 122-109, and barged into the Finals. CNN PHILIPPINES
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MANILA – TNT Katropa leaned on the hot hands of Jayson Castro to eliminate Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, 122-109, in Game 4 of the 2017 Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals last night at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

TNT successfully booked a best-of-seven PBA Finals match with San Miguel Beermen in a face-off that starts this Wednesday.

Castro finished with conference-high 38 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for TNT, which is returning to the PBA Finals for the first time since ruling the 2015 edition of the Commissioner’s Cup.

Import Joshua Smith added 18 markers, while RR Garcia, Kelly Williams and Roger Pogoy contributed 16, 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Ginebra opened the match with a 17-11 advantage on inside hits by Japeth Aguilar but TNT relied on baskets by Castro and Anthony Semerad to come to within a 27-25 advantage.

Ginebra managed to pull away anew to a 38-29 advantage but TNT countered with another run behind Pogoy, Castro and Ryan Reyes to snatch a 66-63 lead at the half on a basket by Garcia.

In the third frame TNT went on a strong start behind Castro, Williams and Smith to build an 84-72 lead but Ginebra answered with a run behind Aguilar and Justin Brownlee to come to within 95-92 at the end of the period.

Ginebra continued their rally early in the fourth and even snatched a 103-98 lead before TNT went on their own series of scoring behind Ranidel de Ocampo and Williams to regain the advantage, 107-106.

Since then it was all Katropa as Castro unloaded three straight baskets to build its largest lead of the match, 122-107, on inside conversions from Williams, Smith and Garcia.

Aguilar led the way with 31 points, while Brownlee added double-double 25 points and 17 rebounds for Kings, which failed to reach the Finals despite being the top-seeded team in the eliminations./PN

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