Veterans' Leadership, Efficiency: Helping TNT Stay Afloat in the PBA Finals

Heading into Game Three of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals last Friday, the TNT Tropang Giga needed a win to avoid going down 0-3 heading into Sunday's Game Four. It didn't help the team that Ray Parks missed his second straight game due to a calf injury.

Still, TNT managed to get a big 88-67 win over the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings to trim down the series deficit to 2-1 with a chance to tie things up with a win in Game Four. And it wasn't just the TNT's limiting Stanley Pringle to only 11 points that did the trick. 

It was the leadership of Jayson Castro, Jay Washington, and Ryan Reyes that willed TNT to their first win of the series.

In the first two games, Ryan Reyes went scoreless while Jay Washington only made four of his total 12 attempts from three. Jayson Castro was mightily struggling offensively. He shot four for 13 from the field in the opening and shot five for 14 in Game Two. 

Game Three was a completely different story for the trio. 

The Blur had 15 points on six for 11 shooting from the field plus 10 assists to back up RR Pogoy's 18-point performance. Washington too was efficient during Friday's game as he finished with 9 points, six rebounds, and a steal. He shot 42% from the three-point line. Reyes started on Friday and finished with five points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal.  

With Pogoy bleeding for all of his 18 points as he shot eight for 25 from the field on Friday and without Ray Parks on the court, the leadership and the efficiency of Castro, Washington, and Reyes provided an additional boost that enabled the Tropang to cruise to a big win and will help the team come Sunday's Game Four. 

Photo is from Inquirer.net