MANILA – Veteran guard Jayson Castro added to TNT Tropang Giga’s injury woes amid their 2020 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup finals series against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings.
The former Philippine Christian University Dolphins guard exited Game 4 of the series on Sunday evening as he is dealing with bone spurs that caused pain to flare up in his left knee.
Castro went down with 9:35 left in the third quarter after driving to the hoop and dropping the ball to Tropang Giga teammate John Paul Erram for a layup but was slow to recover.
Television replays showed that Castro did not contacted any player but has needed help to make it back to the bench. He did not return to the game and finished the match with just two points on one-of-six shooting along with two assists and two rebounds.
Castro, a former Gilas Pilipinas mainstay, was the second Tropang Giga player to suffer injury after Bobby Ray Parks Jr. in the last three outings.
Parks is still recovering from a left calf strain that he sustained in Game 1 of the series and remains doubtful in Game 5 on Wednesday evening.
Kings head coach Tim Cone admitted that Castro’s exit “changed the complexion” of the game as his team went on to take an 18-point lead before settling for a 98-88 final score.
“That’s some two big losses for them, but I know that Bobby Ray’s supposedly close to coming back and Jayson’s a warrior, you know,” Cone said. “He’ll find a way if he possibly can.”
The Tropang Giga was hobbled almost the entire Game 4 with Roger Pogoy also exiting briefly in the game after turning his ankle while Jeth Troy Rosario appeared to hurt his shoulder early in the third quarter.
With a 3-1 series advantage, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel can wrap up the championship series in Game 5 tomorrow at the AUF Sports Arena and Cultural Center in Pampanga./PN
