MANILA – Jayson Castro scored on a jumper at the buzzer as TNT Tropang Giga escaped with an 86-84 win over San Miguel Beermen in Game 1 of the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup Finals last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With the score tied at 84-all and the Tropang Giga was left with just 1.6 seconds to win the game, Castro broke away from the defense of Beermen’s Simon Enciso to deliver the game-winning jump shot.
Castro finished the game with 15 points, but shot miserably from the free throw line where he missed four attempts, to go with three rebounds and two assists for the defending champions Tropang Giga.
Roger Pogoy top-scored with 26 points, including four outside conversions, while Mikey Williams added 21 markers as the Tropang Giga took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven finale.
Down by as much as 12 points at the half, the Tropang Giga clawed its way back in the third quarter behind three-point conversions by Pogoy to finally taste the lead at 57-55 via an outside shot by Williams.
The Beermen responded with five straight points to take the lead at 60-57 but a two-pointer and a triple by Williams, a jumper by Castro, another twinner by Williams and four free throws by Castro surged the Tropang Giga ahead, 70-64.
Both teams struggled with their shots early in the fourth period before the Tropang Giga surged to a 79-69 lead on back-to-back triples by Glenn Khobuntin and a fastbreak layup by Pogoy.
The Beermen came to within 75-79 on a layup by Jaymar Perez and three straight points by June Mar Fajardo but the Tropang Giga doused the cold water on the rally with a triple by Williams.
The Tropang Giga were ahead 84-78 after a layup by Castro before the Beermen got a free throw from Vic Manuel, an inside basket from Fajardo and a three-point play from Manuel for the last deadlock of the match at 84-all.
Fajardo finished with double-double 24 points and 16 rebounds, Perez contributed 21 markers, while Ilonggo Jericho Cruz contributed 10 points, including two treys, for the Beermen.
BOX SCORE:
TNT 86 – Pogoy 26, M. Williams 21, Castro 15, Erram 9, Khobuntin 8, Reyes 6, Rosario 1, Montalbo 0, K. Williams 0, Marcelo 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0.
SAN MIGUEL 84 – Fajardo 24, Perez 21, Cruz 10, Tautuaa 6, Manuel 6, Lassiter 5, Brondial 4, Enciso 3, Ross 2.
Quarterscores: 16-21, 37-49, 70-64, 86-84./PN
