Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario come up big late as TNT topples San Miguel

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

TNT KaTropa made a lot of big-time shots in the fourth period and took June Mar Fajardo away from his sweet spot on Sunday night to score a 104-93 triumph over defending champion San Miguel Beer in the PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jayson Castro was his usual take-charge self when the game hung in the balance, and Troy Rosario announced his return to active play with some clutch baskets of his own as the Texters won a second straight game to climb to 2-2 after opening with two consecutive defeats.

The loss snapped the mighty Beermen’s two-game winning streak as San Miguel dropped into a tie with Columbian, which took a 107-97 loss to NLEX earlier in the night, and the Texters.

TNT’s victory also ended a nine-game losing streak to the Beermen dating back to Game 5 of the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.

Castro finished with 24 points and 11 assists, while Rosario, who sat out the first three games because of a broken nose, had 22 points coming off the bench.