PBA: Sans Jayson Castro, TNT remains confident vs Ginebra in Finals
TNT coach Chot Reyes during the PBA Finals press conference.–PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—It’s no secret that TNT will be without one of its most important pieces in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals against rival Barangay Ginebra.
The Tropang Giga are shooting for a second consecutive championship but this time minus the services of their veteran guard Jayson Castro, who had been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a torn patellar tendon.
Still, that didn’t dampen TNT coach Chot Reyes’ hopes of repeating over the Gin Kings in the upcoming best-of-seven Finals showdown.
SCHEDULE: 2025 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals – Ginebra vs TNT
“The other players that we have, we won’t sell them short,” said Reyes during a press conference on Monday. “They showed in that last series how well they can play even without Jayson.”
Castro suffered the injury in Game 2 of the semifinals against Rain or Shine. But TNT remained a force to reckon with despite his absence as it went on to close out the series in five games.
Without Castro, TNT has relied more on its other reliable guards in Rey Nambatac and Roger Pogoy. Against Ginebra, Nambatac will be expected to do more playmaking while Pogoy will take on his usual role as a two-way player providing offensive firepower and solid defense against the likes of Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarrientos on the other end.
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But while Reyes is confident his wards can hold their own sans Castro, he was also honest enough to admit how big of a blow it is for the Tropang Giga to not have the caliber of the nine-time PBA champion at their disposal especially against a stacked team like the Gin Kings.
“He (Castro) was the last Finals MVP so it’s like taking that piece away. It’s going to be a telling factor,” Reyes said. “I’d be lying if I don’t admit that it will be a big factor.”
Game 1 of the PBA Finals tips off on Friday, 7:30 p.m., at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
