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.”