TnT gains back to back wins after conquering SMB; Rosario returns to help KaTropa

Final: 104 – 93 in favor of the TNT KaTropa!
Best Players: Jayson Castro with 24 points and Troy Rosario with 22 points (File Photo: PBA/Facebook)

Veteran guard Jayson Castro led his team once again with 24 points, five rebounds, 11 assists, and four steals; his consistent performance for the second game in a row making him the very first Cignal-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week.

Castro also shared Sunday’s ‘Player of the Game’ title with a masked Troy Rosario, who made his 2019 Philippine Cup debut with an injured nose, shooting 7-of-13 shots from the field, 6-of-12 shots beyond the arc, contributing a total of 22 points. Rosario believes that the black protective mask was his “lucky charm,” saying in Filipino, “It’s my first time to return to the conference, good thing it’s the right way,” with the former National University (NU) star adding to the media, “My nose kind of hurts right now, I think it’s swollen inside. But, I don’t think it’s that bad. It’s a good thing it’s not bleeding!” He reported that he got “pressured” by the injuries of the other players, sharing, “My injury doesn’t seem like a reason that I can’t play or work because I can run and I can shoot, which is why I decided to tell the coaches that I can try to play with this mask even during practice.”

In the meantime, former Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagle Von Pessumal also scored his career high for TNT opponents SMB with 23 points, but in his words, “I’d rather have zero [points] and get the win,” referring to the Beermen’s fall to a 2-2 standing. He added in Filipino, “We’ll just bounce back.” Pessumal’s teammate Christian Standhardinger performed as well with 24 points, but it was not enough to lead them to the win.

TnT Katropa will try to continue their winning streak as they face the Meralco Bolts at the Cuneta Astrodome on January 30, while the San Miguel Beermen will try to redeem themselves on February 1 facing the Rain or Shine Elastopainters at Ynares Center in Antipolo.