Jayson Castro knows they have to take all the advantage they can as TNT Tropang Giga shoots for a commanding 3-1 lead against Magnolia in Game 4 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Castro and the Tropang Giga try to seize tighter control in the 6 p.m. nightcap that could push them closer to another finals appearance.
San Miguel Beer will also gun for an identical lead against Meralco in the other semifinal pairing slated at 3 p.m.
With spitfire Mikey Williams struggling to make his shots, the 36-year-old Castro flashed his vintage form and knocked down a dagger trey to lift his squad to a 93-92 Game 3 over the weekend.
The 5-foot-10 playmaker showed that he still has what it takes, banging in 16 points and six assists to provide vital support on JP Erram’s 22-point performance that night.
Glenn Khobuntin dialed in 15 points and nine boards, while Williams, despite a paltry 4-of-13 shooting, still added 15 markers and 10 assists.
But Castro knows there’s still a lot to work on.
“We need to fix a lot with our offense and defense. This is a series, it’s a game of adjustments,” Castro said.
“What’s good is that we found a lot of parts where we can take advantage. As a veteran, I’m grateful that they have confidence in me.”
TNT tactician Chot Reyes agrees, saying that his wards must improve their shooting and find a way to solve Magnolia’s schemes.
The Hotshots still outworked TNT in many departments, having a better 50 percent shooting as compared to the Tropang Giga’s 41 percent output, and 46-to-30 difference in points inside the paint.
“We win games as a team. Going back to our team culture, it really doesn’t matter how many points you score,” Reyes said.
“We’ve got a couple of days before the next game, we’ll see how we’re able to take advantage of that recovery period but I expect this game to be tougher.”