MANILA – Veteran guard Jayson Castro insisted his controversial game-winner in TNT Tropang Giga’s 86-84 Game 1 victory over San Miguel Beermen in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup finals on Sunday night was counted.
The buzzer-beating shot of the former Gilas Pilipinas mainstay was a trending topic on social media with netizens debating whether the shot came just before the final buzzer or not.
Castro believed he was able to get the ball off in time and he said the referees agreed with him as they decided to count the controversial hit that gave TNT a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.
“Sa akin naman, alam ko naman na natira ko siya before mag-buzzer,” the 36-year-old Castro said. “Nasa referee naman ‘yun kung anong nakita nila e. Pero counted naman nila.”
With the score tied at 84-all and the Tropang Giga 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.
“Napapasakto lang,” the former Philippine Christian University Dolphins star added. “Tsaka ‘yung confidence ng team at ng coaches siguro. Kailangan ko lang itira kasi ‘yun nga, napunta sa’kin ‘yung bola.”
Castro, who finished Game 1 with 15 points, said that, while it is huge for the Tropang Giga to snatch the series opener from the Beermen, there are still more adjustments needed to be made for their erratic showing.
“Sobrang sama ng first half namin kasi ang dami naming turnover…then ang dami rin naming missed free throws,” said Castro, who himself missed four free throws in the first half of Game 1.
“Kailangan din namin i-fix ‘yung defense namin as a team, kasi noong first half, hindi kami nagco-communicate on defense. Buti na lang nakapag-adjust kami noong second half,” he added.
The defending champions Tropang Giga will aim for a 2-0 edge in Game 2 of the championship series on Wednesday night but they will be without head coach Chot Reyes, who will join the Gilas Pilipinas in Lebanon./PN
