Much is expected from veterans Jayson Castro and Poy Erram when the chips are down for the TNT Tropang Giga.
Jayson Castro and Poy Erram did exactly what was expected from them in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals between TNT and Ginebra on Sunday, October 27.
Tropang Giga coach Chot Reyes was the least surprised.
“That’s why they’re there. They’re veterans. They know what to do in these situations. It’s not only the points they scored, it’s the other things that they do,” said Reyes after their 104-88 win at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Erram provided the inside presence for TNT and put up 15 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting from the field. He also had eight rebounds.
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But Reyes was most proud of the 6-foot-7’s defense against the likes of Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar.
“I thought Poy played tremendous defense. One of the things that we have to work on is really keeping them off the glass because Ginebra’s such a great offensive rebounding team, so we really rely on Poy to really do a lot of the board work for us,” Reyes said.
Saddled by calf and knee issues in the ongoing playoffs, Castro returned to the court after missing the series-clinching win over Rain or Shine and made his presence felt right away.
In the third period, Castro schooled rising Ginebra star RJ Abarrientos and dropped 12 of his 14 points.
“Jayson saw the opportunity in the third quarter. Credit to his teammates for affording him and making sure that he gets it in the right places for him to attack,” said the seasoned mentor.
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As the Tropang Giga go for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, Reyes expects to get the same contribution from his vets.
“Yun ang trabaho nila. As veterans, their job is to stabilize and take advantage of opportunities,” he said.