Jones was hitting shots from inside and out and was the steadying presence the whole game for the KaTropa, who drubbed the Beermen, 109-96, for first blood in their best-of-seven series and the obvious confidence builder going into the next match at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
“Perhaps we caught an exhausted San Miguel team,” TNT coach Bong Ravena said after the rout that had his KaTropa scoring the game’s first 18 points.
Jones scored 16 of his 41 points in that crippling opening salvo, and then added another 10 in the second frame which was practically all the KaTropa needed to hold off several attempts at a rally by San Miguel.
Castro finished with 20 points highlighted by a lot of clutch baskets in the second half.
Game 2 is Wednesday also at the fabled Big Dome.
Jones missed his fifth triple double by just two assists after snaring 12 boards, but credits the convincing win because of defense.
“I think we came in with a great game plan. We just tried to not let any shooters get any open opportunities,” Jones, the Best Import award favorite, said.
But his heroics on the other end certainly cannot go unnoticed. Jones, though, deflected much of the credit.
“I just wanted to be there to help, and make things difficult [for San Miguel],” he explained. “I think that helped us get deflections and get steals, which led to us getting easier buckets in transitions and finding guys.”
With Game 1 already in the books, TNT knows that San Miguel will come out harder than it ever has in this conference.
“We have to come out even stronger because they are a champion team,” he said. “And we respect that.”
Chris McCullough had 33 points to go with reigning MVP June Fajardo’s 23 points. Terrence Romeo and Christian Standhardinger combined for 21 points off the bench for the Beermen.
Meanwhile, Fajardo and Castro will be disputing the Best Player of the Conference award despite finishing behind two rookies in the statistical points race.
Ray Parks of Blackwater and CJ Perez of Columbian topped the SP derby, but with their sides eliminated early, the duo doesn’t have a chance in the balloting.
The Elite bombed out in the quarterfinals opposite crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra, while the Dyip, despite Perez’ heroics, couldn’t make it past the elimination round.
A third rookie, Robert Bolick of NorthPort, was fifth in the SP race.
Castro had an average of 33.7 SPs for third spot, next to pacesetter Parks Jr. of Blackwater who had 37.2, and the second-ranked Perez, who finished with 36.1.
Fajardo is on pace to hike his eight BPCs—the most in the league—with 32.9 SPs, followed by Bolick, NorthPort’s spitfire rookie, who rounds out the top five with 32.46.
The scores:
TNT 109—Jones 41, Castro 20, Rosario 16, Pogoy 13, Trollano 11, Heruela 5, Reyes 3, Washington 0, Taha 0, Carey 0, Semerad D. 0, Casino 0, Magat 0.
SAN MIGUEL BEER 96—McCullough 33, Fajardo 23, Romeo 11, Standhardinger 10, Ross 7, Santos 5, Cabagnot 3, Pessumal 2, Zamar 2, Nabong 0.
Quarters: 35-19, 69-42, 87-72, 109-96.