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[av_heading heading=’TNT Katropa captures Game 5, nears finals’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Friday, February 17, 2017
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San Miguel Beermen’s Alex Cabagnot tries to get past TNT Katropa’s Jayson Castro (foreground) during Game 5 of their 2017 PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 16. Another win on Saturday will enable the Katropa to barge into the finals. PBA
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MANILA – TNT Katropa rode on Jayson Castro’s hot shooting in the final quarter to score a 101-94 win over San Miguel Beermen in Game 5 of the 2016-2017 Oppo PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals last night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Castro led the way with 18 points — 11 coming in the final quarter — for the Katropa, which can clinch the first PBA finals seat with another victory over the Beermen in Game 6 on Saturday.
Ranidel de Ocampo and Kelly Williams also finished with 18 points apiece, while rookie Roger Pogoy and Ryan Reyes combined for 20 points for the Katropa, which looks to make its first-ever All-Filipino Cup finals appearance since 2013.
The Katropa opened the match with a 14-5 lead on three-pointers by Reyes and Castro, but the Beermen quickly answered back behind Alex Cabagnot and Marcio Lassiter to tie the score at 24-all.
After baskets by Gabby Espinas and Jay-R Reyes, the Beermen widened the lead further to its largest at 10, but the Katropa got conversions from Pogoy, de Ocampo and Larry Fonacier to build a 50-40 lead at the half.
TNT erected its largest lead at 55-42 early in the third on hits by de Ocampo and Castro, but San Miguel launched its own rally behind Cabagnot and Lassiter to take a 60-57 edge.
The Beermen even widened the lead to 64-58 on an Arwind Santos hit before the Katropa regained its form behind de Ocampo and Castro to surge to an 83-74 lead early in the fourth quarter on a triple by Kris Rosales.
San Miguel came to as close as 83-82 on a three-point play by Espinas before Castro spearheaded a huge finishing run by the Katropa to make a seven-point edge on hits by Williams.
Santos led the way with 18 points, while Cabagnot and Lassiter contributed 17 and 16 points, respectively, for the Beermen, which is now at risk of getting dethroned after winning the All-Filipino crown in the last two years./PN
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