Castro looks a cinch for PBC award

RAIN or Shine overcame a career-high performance by Jason Castro as the Elasto Painters outlasted the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters in Game 2 to tie  the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals’   best-of-seven series at 1-1 Friday.

Castro shot the   daylights  out of   the Smart Araneta Coliseum  with 44 points,  nearly breaking   the   record  established  by Allan  Caidic almost   three  decades   ago.

“Jason  was  just  four points   short of   the  record established  by Caidic,   who  scored 48  points for Great Taste in  the  third game  of  a  championship series against Tanduay in 1987,” said

PBA  head  statistician Fidel  Mangonon, who  recently release the names of  the five  candidates  for  the Best Player  of   the Conference (BPC).

As expected, Jason leads   the  pack  with  35.3 statistical  points   average,   followed  by San Miguel Beerman JuneMar Fajardo with 34.0, Elasto Painter Paul  Lee with 32.1,  Ginebra’s Greg  Slaughter  with 31.7   and Globalport Batang Pier Terrence    Romeo  with       30.8.

“Not  only   did Jason   come   close   to  breaking Caidic’s   record of most points   scored  in  a game,  he   actually broke   the 35-year-old record of  no less  than  the Living Legend Sonny Jaworski  for  most three-point field goals  made  by a local in a finals   series game. Jason  logged  nine three-point shots  last  Friday,”  Mangonon  said.

The  winner  of  the BPC  and  Best Import  contests will  be  announced before Game 4. Counting of  statistical  points   stops after the  last game of   the   semifinals,  which  means  the  numbers   above  are   final.

Texter Ranidel de Ocampo   came   close   to  making it  to the top five   with 29.5 statistical  points,  with Globalport’s  Stanley Pringle   coming in at  seventh with 26.1, Barako Bull’s JC Intal  at  eighth   with  25,4,  Meralco’s Gary David  at ninth with  24.8 and Cliff Hodge  at   10th place   with 24.7  statistical points.

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“I still think  Floyd Mayweather Jr. is  the  better   fighter. But I  don’t think  that  he  believes  he  can win.  If he does  think he   can, he  doesn’t  think  it’s   easy.”

This   is   a quote   from Roy Jones Jr. on  the  forthcoming Mayweather Fight of  the Century  against Manny Pacquiao which  will  be staged   at  the MGM Grand on May 3, Manila time.

Jones  was described  in  an  online  report as an undisputed  light heavyweight  champion  who  was  unbeatable  during  his  prime. He  is  also  American like  Mayweather  but has  been  rebuking  the  boxer  because of  his refusal  to  fight Pacquiao  in  the past.

“Off  the top,  I  like Mayweather. Now   that  has  changed,”  he  told a small  audience at London’s Real FightClub  recently,  as  he  explained  in a  long, roundabout way  why Mayweather  has   avoided  clashing  with  the eight-division  world champion  for  close    to six  years  before  he  finally   said  yes.

He  is   afraid  to lose. Not  that Pacquiao  will  surely  beat  him,  but  he  didn’t want  to take  the risk  for  as long  as he  can  avoid it.

Giving his final verdict on the issue,  Jones  said  he  doesn’t believe Mayweather  thinks  he  can  win  against Pacquiao.

“He just doesn’t have  the  mental toughness.”