PBA Finals: Jayson Castro confident he beat the buzzer in game-winner

Jayson Castro and Gab Banal react after the buzzer-beating game winner in the PBA Finals game 1. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines–There was plenty of debate as to whether Jayson Castro had beaten the clock to give TNT a dramatic win in Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

But for Castro, there was nothing to doubt about his shot that defeated San Miguel Beer, 86-84, on Sunday inside Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Nasa referee naman yun kung ano nakita niya,” Castro said. “Alam ko naman na natira ko siya before the buzzer.

(It’s up for the referee to decide based on what he saw. But I had firm belief that I made the shot before the buzzer.)

Two weeks since saving TNT from defeat against Magnolia in Game 3 of the semifinals with a last-second three, Castro prevented overtime when he took the inbound with 1.6 seconds and made two dribbles before knocking down the shot past the three-point arc before time ran out.

Or did he? If those who spent the aftermath reviewing angles shown during the broadcast are asked.

Crew chief Nol Quilingen and fellow referees Sherwin Pineda, Jerry Narandan and Joel Baldago spent several minutes checking every angle available on a television screen located at the technical committee’s table to see if Castro’s shot should count.

Jayson Castro’s buzzer beating game winner. –PBA IMAGES

One particular angle shown on television, which fans kept pointing to on social media, had the ball in Castro’s hand with the clock reading three zeroes. A different frame from the same angle saw Castro already had the ball released—albeit barely—when the red light flashed.

Officials eventually decided that Castro had indeed made it in time, prompting Pineda to run at center court to declare the call, much to the delight of the Tropang Giga and their faithful.

“Nasa referees pa rin naman yung decision (The decision is still up to the referees),” Castro said.

With the debate expected to rage in the days leading up to Game 2 on Wednesday, Castro can also be glad at how the play transpired.

Coach Chot Reyes had two options of going with either Castro or RR Pogoy, the game’s highest scorer with 26, depending on whose player was open.

“It was a well-designed play by Coach Chot, it just turned out that I was wide open when I got the ball,” Castro said in Filipino.