After Game 1 win, TNT begins ‘guessing game’

TNT KaTropa’s Jayson Castro. PBA IMAGES

DESPITE winning Game 1 comfortably last night, the hard work goes on for TNT KaTropa coach Jong Uichico.

“We will try to think of what Meralco will be doing [for Game 2],” Uichico told scribes minutes after his Texters pulled out a 113-95 victory for first blood in their half of the Final Four of the PBA Governors’ Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

“It’s a guessing game from hereon,” Uichico went on as he refused to fall into a false sense of security despite the authoritative win where the Texters pulled away in the third period and won with plenty to spare.

“We can only analyze what (Meralco) coach Norman (Black) will do and then we will try to adjust to whatever the situation calls for.”

The Texters struggled somewhat in the first half with Meralco able to tug at their coattails, as Jason Castro, who was like a microwave on offense in their last game, found life hard in putting up the numbers early because of a defensive ploy thrown by Black that worked—in the first half.

“Coming into this game, we didn’t know what coach Norman would be doing (defensively) against Jason,” Uichico went on. “Jason just read it (defensive ploy) in the first half and delivered in [the second half].”

Game 2 is set tomorrow also at the Big Dome and the Texters will be shooting to win a sixth straight game dating back to the elimination round to more or less snuff the fight out of the Bolts.

“This is just the first game and we need to go back to the drawing board,” Uichico, a winner of nine league titles, said. “We know that Meralco can come back and we can’t put our guards down.”

Michael Madanly came off the bench to shoot 22 points with Mychal Ammons shooting 11 of his 15 in the final two periods. Ammons also plucked down 11 rebounds.

Castro, despite his slow start, was still the big story of the game for the Texters.

The fleet-footed point guard, who is being wooed by a professional team in China to play there as an import in November, fired seven of his 14 points and had five of his nine assists in the third that had the Texters breaking free from a 45-43 count at the half for an 84-67 lead going into the fourth.

“Jason is our pillar,” Uichico said of Castro. “It’s hard to have a winning team if you don’t have a good point guard. [Castro] has developed his game wherein he can both score and get his teammates involved.

“That’s really important for the team.”

Allen Durham had 26 points and 21 rebounds but simply could not do it all for the Bolts.

The scores:

TNT KATROPA 113—Madanly 22, Rosario 16, Ammons 15, Castro 14, De Ocampo 12, Fonacier 9, Williams 8, Reyes 6, Rosales 6, Tautuaa 5, Ababou 0, Rosser 0.

MERALCO 95—Durham 26, Hodge 16, Dillinger 12, Alapag 8, Amer 8, Hugnatan 8, Faundo 6, Nabong 3, Newsome 3, Uyloan 3, Al-Hussaini 2, Buenafe 0, Guevarra 0.

Quarters: 24-23, 45-43, 84-67, 113-95