Castro Injury Puts TNT in a Deeper Hole

Not only are the TNT Tropang Giga down 3-1 in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals, they will also have to find leadership and ball stability from someone else come Game Five on Wednesday.

Already playing in the championship series with Ray Parks on the sideline since Game Two due to a calf injury, the Tropang Giga now find themselves in a deeper hole as Jayson Castro went down in the third quarter of Game Four where TNT lost to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, 98-88 despite another 34-point outing from Roger Pogoy. According to reports, the Blur has been dealing with bone spurs causing pain in his left knee to bother him. Castro finished with two points, two rebounds, and two assists in 17 minutes in Game Four.

Even Ginebra Head Coach Time Cone admitted after Sunday's game that Castro's exit changed the complexion of the game as TNT fell behind by as much as 18 points and later fell short of completing a comeback. All without Jayson Castro in most of the second half.

Jayson Castro is listed as "day-to-day" and even though TNT management said that Castro will have the bone spurs removed after the all-Filipino bubble conference in Clark, the Tropang Giga will have to pray to the basketball gods that the Blur will be able to play on Wednesday when the team will try to extend the series to a Game Six. If not, Pogoy will have to play the biggest game of this conference for TNT. Troy Rosario and JP Erram will have to try to stop Japeth Aguilar from dunking all over the place. And, someone will have to do what Jayson Castro does: play toe-to-toe against LA Tenorio.

Easier said done that but if TNT wants to delay Ginebra's coronation, Pogoy and company will have to find that leadership and stability amongst themselves.  

Photo is from Bombo Radyo